Rose Granger-Weasley and the Scorpion's Sting
by twingtoohard
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy drives Rose Granger-Weasley crazy. Or is it that she's crazy for him. He is happy to admit he's mad about her and prepared to do any number of crazy things to get the happy ever after he's always dreamed of. Alternate title Scorpius Malfoy and la vie en Rose. Story and language is clean to start but gets slightly more mature and explicit in 2nd half.


Rose Granger-Weasely and the Scorpion King

Or Scorpius Malfoy and La Vie En Rose

POV

I am a bitch of a witch and a damned lucky one. My failing have been many but my regrets are few. I am and have always been popular. You'd think my bottles must have been laced with liquid luck for all the true misfortune I've experienced in my life. My parents are still blissfully married, and in good health with impressive careers. My younger brother, while not a friend who I'd chose to socialize with, is reasonably popular in his own right and happy to go his own way. My name is Rose Ginevra Granger-Weasely and this is my confession.

I have never wanted for girls to vey for my friendship or boys my attention. But here is a truth only the queen bees could tell you. Popular is not the same as beloved or even well liked. It has taken me most of my life up to this point to come to this realization. Years on end have been spent cultivating my reputation as the prettiest, cleverest and most popular witch to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts. But now that I am in my seventh and final year, what should be a victory lap, the bloom is off (you'll forgive the expression) the rose.

There is one person to blame for my disillusionment, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. The boy who has been a pain in my side since the moment we met in his compartment on the Hogwarts Express (1 ). I've tried dismissing him. I've tried ignoring him. I'll even admit to gossiping about him and giving credence to rumors that he was the secret son of You Know Who. While I am more than mildly ashamed now of making his life hell over it during the death of his mother even he himself has admitted to wondering at points.

So how did he bring about this great revelation? How did he overcome all of the unpopular sentiment that marked his first four years at Hogwarts and become the most beloved person at our school but also the most loved member of my family?

Which is ridiculous. He isn't even related to me. (Well, he technically is something like a fourth cousin once removed.) Obviously Albus Potter, my once upon a time best cousin, friend, and playmate, who now barely speaks to me, chose a slimy Slytherin over me and my friendship, but that is old history, ancient even.

For several years I was in good company in my distrust and distaste for Malfoy. Even my Uncle Harry, who is universally revered for moral purity (2)disapproved of the friendship and tried to forbid it. But then the actual daughter of Voldemort got involved and the tide of popular opinion regarding Scorpius began to change. First he won over Aunt Ginny and my own mother. The History of Magic has a lot to say about my mothers various virtues but to my mind it needs revisions on loyalty. Then Grandpa Arthur found out they shared such a bone deep fascination with muggles and their many inventions. Anyone who could make Grandpa smile won Nana Molly's approval and the rest of the family took their cues from her. Once everyone's guard was down he quickly won them over with his charm.

He maybe a complete geek and way too openly enthusiastic about pretty much everything but he has his charms. And I don't mean the magic ones. And he is persistent. No matter how harshly I have tried to shut him down in his pursuit of me he has never waivered. But I digress.

Two years ago he took it in his head to try out for quidditch. Al has always hated quidditch. He and Mum are pretty much the only family members with little to no interest. I assumed Malfoy felt the same. But apparently not. Improbably enough he became seeker and a brilliant one at that. Suddenly he was impossible to ignore or dismiss. Almost overnight everyone at school who had once avoided him and whispered behind his back did an about face and sought his approval. They call him the Scorpion King.

Then last year a Slytherin got transferred to Durmstrang and he was appointed as a replacement prefect. Suddenly even the staff were looking on him with favour as a role model for other students. He became so popular and widely approved of that at the end of spring term he was appointed Head Boy for our seventh and final year.

I have been a rare hold out. I have been marginally less hostile towards him since learning he wasn't Voldemort's son after all. But I see past his quidditch victories and prefect's badge. He is the same socially awkward geek he always was, now just a very well liked one.

To be perfectly fair it hasn't gone to his head. He seems as mystified and unaffected by the change of public opinion towards him as he was before. And he is still best friends with Albus who is actively antagonistic to those seeking to butter him up as a path to Malfoy's inner circle.

Inner circle is a bit of a joke. The circle is Albus Potter. He has never made another friend. Maybe he just doesn't feel he needs one. There aren't any girlfriends or friends who are girls either. Though Polly Chapman has made a complete fool of herself trying to persuade him to ask her out.

It is kind of sickening to watch. She has no shame at all. Every day in her skimpy tops and barely there skirts she simpers up to him and bats her eye lids flirting outrageously asking for assistance in Potions. He is either oblivious or pretends to be. That is the one reason I allow myself to watch the display; the moment he sends her away with what amounts to a pat on the head. I have to bite back a grin as the moment approaches.

I don't know why I care. It is not like I want his devoted attention. Having him pursue me ceaselessly has been a real pain. He is just so awkward. And shameless. He simply couldn't care less about what others think of him. Half of the time he's reading these strange muggle books even I 've never heard of like Kama Lama and Histoire de something or other (3). When I asked about them he said one was a translation of Indian Meditation and the other the autobiography of an Italian muggle who died centuries ago. At least that time he looked embarrassed so he was at least aware of how odd it was.

For years he has said the weirdest things in an effort to win my affections. He told me I smelled like bread! Who says that sort of thing? I shoot him down every day but it has no affect. The next day he is back at it again.

Does it make me a crazy bitch to be pleased that he is indifferent to Polly even though I have no interest in him? It's just that everyone else wants me, to be popular. Or perhaps a better way to phrase it would be they want to be popular by association. They don't really want me for myself. I have been known to borrow the cloak of invisibility from Al (don't ask what that favour coat me just know that somehow suited Al's ends for me to be invisible and out of the way he's not the altruistic type) and walk about un-harassed. And the same girls who trip over themselves for my favour are the ones calling my a bitch behind my back. And the boys falling over themselves for dates, are busy making up stories about what a slut I am and how loose I am with my favours when they think I'm not around to hear them. What a pack of lies. But never Malfoy. With him what you see is what you get. I have never overheard him say anything that contradicts what he says to my face.

Maybe I'm going soft, but it is kind of nice knowing where I stand with him. Everyone else wants something from me. He just wants me for me, and though painfully awkward and down right strange he can be very, very sweet.

I think it started as an effort to redeem himself for the bread remark, but for the past two years he has arranged daily deliveries of the finest pastries from Paris. It is lucky that I spend as much time training for quidditch as I do because I don't think I'd be able to fit through the door otherwise. Every kind of bread, tart, millfoy and peteet fur the country of France has to offer has been laid before me.

And Roses. Hundreds of roses, no two alike have been sent to me. One a day for the past two years. Did you know there are over 150 species of roses? Well there are, and that isn't even counting the hybrids which number in the thousands. There are new hybrids created every year.

I once asked Malfoy when he planned on stopping all this nonsense. He said when France ran out of flour and he had sent me every single kind of rose in existence.

How am I supposed to respond to that? He tells me I am beautiful all the time. That isn't special. Strangers tell me I am beautiful. I can't walk from one end of this castle to the other without at least five people complimenting me on my looks. But somehow when Malfoy says it I actually believe he means all of me not just the packaging. I have some pretty ugly parts to my soul (4) Parts I am heartily ashamed of. But when Malfoy says that and gives me that look my soul feels light and shiny.

Grr. Why does he have to be so hard to dislike. So impossible to dismiss and ignore.

Polly pretends to fumble and lose her balance so Malfoy has to catch her. That's it! It is on like Merlin's schlong!

spotted Scorpius moments before her father pointed him out and explained who he was. She felt an instant bone deep attraction. Finding out he was the one rumored to be the son of Voldemort made her completely disgusted with herself and harsh in all her interactions with him. Even when it became clear he was really Draco's son she never quite recovered from how powerless she was to quash the attraction. Her behaviour caused a rift with her favourite cousin that never mended.

2\. He killed the dark wizard Voldemort. More than once. It is complicated. Read the books written about him for details. If you don't know Who the Boy Who Lived is just stop reading.

3\. The Karma Sutra and Histoire de ma vie by Giacomo Casanova.

4 Guilt over the way she treated Scorpius and even Albus has been eating at Rose for years. There isn't really anything else she has to feel guilty about aside from the usual blaming accidents she caused on her sibling type of things.

POV

"You saw that, right? It really happened didn't it? I wasn't just day dreaming, right? Maybe you should pinch me again!"

"I'm going to slap you soon if you don't shut up about it!" a surly Albus retorts. "But yes it happened. I don't know what went wrong with her in Potions to make it happen but it did. I suppose I am going to hear about this for the next 7 years aren't I?" He adds morosely.

I have been pursuing Rose Granger-Weasely for years without a hint of encouragement on her part in all this time. Then today out of the blue she attacks my mouth with hers, right in the middle of potions class! Polly Chapman was being her usual annoying self carrying on and pretending to need my help with the assignment. I was moments from breaking and letting Albus spill something awful smelling down her blouse just to be rid of her when Polly managed to trip herself into my arms. Rose appeared out of nowhere and then Polly was being unceremoniously removed from my person and shoved in the direction of her seat.

Rose told Polly the whole class's stomachs had been suffering from watching her sickening display and I was just far too polite to tell her to bugger off so she was doing it for me. Then she grabbed me and snogged me. Her hands were in my hair, her tongue was on my mouth, her breasts were mashed up against my chest. I barely had time to recover from the shock enough to wrap my arms around her and snog her back when she broke the kiss and turned back to a flabbergasted Polly.

'Does he look like someone who is even remotely interested or available?' she asked. ' Every single day he sends me pastries and roses. All he gives you is pity. Now have some self-respect and shove off.' And then she turned around and left. Rose walked right out of class to Merlin knows where. She didn't even go back to her seat for her books. Polly Chapman certainly wasn't going to take care of them for her so I ended up packing them up myself.

A new possibility occurs. "Oh merciful Merlin she's dying isn't she? Rose must have a brain tumour or something. I can't believe you didn't tell me!" I accuse Albus.

"It would certainly explain a lot, but no. I promise that though Rose isn't my favourite cousin and I definitely don't think she's worthy of your devotion I would never keep something that massive from you." Albus claps a hand on my shoulder.

I feel limp with relief but Albus continues. "You're probably of a mind with Rose in thinking her actions require a medical explanation. If you really want to find Rose to give her books back I'd suggest trying the Infirmary." This why Albus is the best mate ever. He may not approve of Rose or my relentless pursuit of her but he is still supportive even now in our last year, when he already grumbles I never see him anymore now that I've moved to the Heads quarters.

"Excellent suggestion. You coming along?" I offer knowing he'll never take me up on it as he doesn't see what I see in Rose, then turn immediately in the direction I hope will lead me to her.

"No. I will be in the library researching ways to erase that kiss from my memory. A memory charm might do it but I'm not sure I could make it precise enough and I don't want to lose the lesson." He gave a parting wave over his shoulder.

Off I go to find Rose, eager to see if the kiss was an isolated phenomenon.

POV

" Check again! There must be something you are missing!" I insist to Madam Pomfrey.

"You are in the pink of health!" she returns firmly. "There is no trace of a curse, or a charm, or a hex, or any other type of magical affliction." She pats my hand comfortingly. "You'll be fine dear. Maybe you are just a little bit worked up about your finals being this year. I saw your mother on a fairly regular basis over h years she was here. She nearly worked herself into a breakdown several times during her final year she pushed herself so hard studying.. Of course she was still recovering from what she'd been through then and didn't have the moral support she was used to but still… Go have a rest and take a break from the Library tonight. No quidditch practice either. You be your own self by morning."

She wanders off to her office. I throw myself back onto the bed I'm sitting on, and cover my face with a pillow. What on Merlin's green earth is wrong with me? I kissed Scorpius Malfoy right in front of our entire Potions class. Just grabbed him and snogged him. With tongue. How will I be able to face him ever again? I can't pretend it never happened. There were too many witnesses. By now word of it had probably spread to the entire school. How can I even walk down the halls?

All I'd been thinking about was wanting to stop Polly from rubbing herself all over him. She was shameless and I felt embarrassed just watching her. Then it was like an out of body experience. I watched myself march up to them tear her out of his arms and shove her back in the direction of our seats. Then the most ridiculous things came flying out of my mouth. I told her about the pastries and roses. I've never told anyone I've known who has been sending them all along. And suddenly I was kissing him. I remember thinking 'I'll show her who he's really interested in'. Then my lisp touched his and my brain just lost all thoughts.

I forgot why I was kissing him for several seconds and just got lost in the taste and feel of him. He tasted like butter beer and smelled of books and leather, and Spring. How he smells of spring in mid-October I'll never know. But the smell reminded me of the time we were asked to brew Amortentia. That was what it smelled like. I never could figure out why I smelled those things.

The surprise of that realization was enough for me to break the kiss and remember why I'd started it in the first place. I told off Polly and beat a hasty retreat. I didn't even stop to gather my things. I'll have to sneak back and retrieve them later. Oh Dumbledore's dingleberries what has gotten into me.

I flop onto my stomach and bury my head under the pillow again. Even muffled I can hear the door tick open. Someone enters and the door closes again the lock clicking shut. I assume it is Madame Pomfrey again and wonder why she locked the door. I peek out from behind the pillow but the room is empty.

"Oh there you are Rose! I thought I might find you here." Malfoy says in his usual cheerful tone and I nearly jump out of my skin as he flings off the cloak he clearly borrow from Albus.

"Sorry if I gave you a fright. I just wanted to bring you your things to save you going back for them. I had a feeling you wouldn't particularly want to be seen with me."

I can't help but blush. He's right. I was worried about being seen by anyone at all. But see what I mean? Sweet. I groan for a moment then sit up and set aside the pillow. I have to ask. "Why do you smell like Spring time?"

"Do I?" Malfoy tries to sniff the shoulder of his jumper. "Well let's see, I guess some of that would be turf from the quidditch pitch same as you. And some would be my mother's perfume because I put just a drop on this jumper years ago because it helps sometimes when I miss her and lily of the valley was her favourite scent. I also occasionally splash on a little rose water because it reminds me of you. Makes a great skin toner too!" He blushes and is the first to look away.

He is just so odd. What kind of boy admits to wearing perfume? But he is so damned sweet, and he misses his mother, and he makes me feel special and important and like he sees something wonderful in me no one else does. And his lips look so soft and pink and inviting. Notice I never said he wasn't physically attractive. His lips taste like butter beer and I've always had a weakness for it. He has the cloak right there . It's not like anyone needs to see us.

POV

Bloody hell! I don't know quite how I got here. Here is the Owlery. I have been walking around in a daze for hours. Rose kissed me, again. And again, and again, and again. And my god she has the most amazing lips. The first time she kissed me I was too stunned to properly appreciate it. I was just giddy because she had kissed me. But in the Infirmary I had time to savor it and not just stand there like a statue. She tastes like strawberries and cream, and smells like roses and bread, and sunshine. Sunshine shouldn't smell, but it does. It smells like Rose's hair.

And her body. Wow. Just wow. Merlin help me. I am surprised I didn't go up in a pillar of flame. Her skin is so soft and pink and delicate with these little freckles on her shoulders …and I really need to stop that line of thought. Suffice it to say I am so high in the stratosphere right now that I may never come all the way back down.

I have always wanted Rose. From the moment I first laid eyes on her. I remember spotting her on the platform when she arrived with her family. I knew who she was before her father could even point me out as the one to stay away from. Even before she walked into my compartment and told Albus the rumor surrounding my conception I knew she would never give in to the flicker of attraction I saw in her eyes when they met mine across the platform.

For years I have put up with her feigned indifference. I have taken all the rejection she could dish out and then some. I have put up with Albus's pity. I was at least smart enough to keep my pursuit of Rose on the down low. Yes I sent her pastries and a rose every single day for over a year, like a madman, but I never signed them and I guessed correctly she wouldn't broadcast who they were from.

I can still taste her on my lips. I am just standing here all alone trying to compose myself. Trying to recover from the most intensely gratifying physical experience of my entire life.

I let her keep the cloak. I'll get it back from her later to return to Albus. She looked far to disheveled to walk anywhere like that. But it does mean that I am not immune to public scrutiny. I probably look like the total creeper so many have seen me as for so long skulking about all alone up here, but no one else is around and I don't care. Against all odds Rose Granger-Weasely is finally succumbing to our mutual attraction, and in public I need to keep it under wraps.

I am not stupid. She may have snogged me in front of our entire Potions class but I guarantee that tomorrow she'll play it like she was just putting Polly in her place. Somehow I'll be cast as the poor pathetic fool tragically devoted to the girl he can never have. Fair enough. Until this morning I was that fool.

My currency may have risen with everyone else at this school but Rose still sees me as the awkward geek I am at my core. Which is brilliant because that's who I am and I'm not changing so I needed her to get past her reluctance to choose someone who isn't going to give her a life free of embarrassment. I have had to accept that life occasionally buries me neck deep in shit. But adversity develops character.

Not that Rose's life has been completely lacking in adversity. Harry Wood and that loud mouth Gryffindor lot have been known to talk a lot of rubbish about Rose in the Prefects' washroom. I could never say anything before because I had no way of knowing if it was true. It certainly wasn't anything they would have said in front of a Potter or a Weasely. But I was just the boy secretly obsessed with her so I had to bite my tongue and swallow down the bile their remarks always elicited. Now I know what a pack of lies it was.

No one ever figured out it was me who spiked Harry's drink with the hair growth potion last year. He had to be shaved down three times a day for a week and still bears the moniker 'Yeti Dick'. That is nothing on what I will do to him if her ever repeats his lies now that Rose is mine and I know all that talk was nothing but slander.

Make no mistake, Rose is going to be mine. I haven't been patient for all these years to not carpe the hell out of this diem now that an opportunity has presented itself. The kiss in the classroom that could have been a fluke. I could have only convinced myself that she was into it and not merely trying to show up Polly. But that doesn't explain what happened when I went so see her in the infirmary. Why she launched herself at me mouth first and all the things we did. Merlin I can still taste her on my tongue. I can still hear the sound of my name on her lips.

Not Malfoy. Scorpius. She called me Scorpius. Whispered it. Screamed it when I did that thing I read about in that one Muggle book. And now she is probably hiding somewhere in this castle freaking out. A part of me wants to go to her an apologize for the liberties I took. But I am going to make an effort to temper him.

I spent years courting Rose with offerings of bread and roses and other special offerings. I am a romantic so that will never stop but as far as I am concerned the courtship part is over. Let the seduction of Rose Granger-Weasely begin!

As soon as I can managed to school my features so I can walk about without looking like the cat who got the cream I am going to let Rose know exactly how mind blowing it can be between us behind closed doors. And to think I thought being co-Heads with her this year was going to be torture.

5\. Rose POV

I am going to kill my cousin. Al is always going on about how badly I am treating Scorpius. The one good thing about it is knowing Scorpius kept his word and Albus has no idea what we do behind closed doors. Me mistreating Scorpius ,that's a laugh. I'm the one who has to sit gingerly.

It has been nearly two months since I found myself kissing Scorpius in Potions class. In the time since then Scorpius has taken up pretty much all my private time.

Between classes, quidditch practice, studying and Head Girl duties private time is fairly scarce so he keeps locking us in empty classrooms and broom cupboards. If we are on rounds together he searches for couples making out, sends them packing so there is a record of us executing our duties, then shamelessly takes up where they left off.

Then there is my favourite part of the day. The time near midnight when all duties have been executed, studies done, practices finished and we can head back to our living quarters. Who ever thought my favourite part of Hogwarts would be spending my last year sharing quarters with Scorpius Malfoy? For the first six weeks of term I scrupulously avoided him. I chose to spend my time in the Library or visiting Gryffindor common room rather than risk running into him. Now our quarters are my favourite place to be.

When I made my way there from the Infirmary that first day on shaky legs still trying to recover from what I'd let him do to me I discovered he had redecorated. Specifically he had changed all the portraits. One wall was nothing put empty frames. The other held portraits all hung backwards with their faces to the wall. Based on the sounds coming from them he'd somehow found all the couples who had been spread throughout the castle and reunited them.

Having a co-ed common room for the Head girl and boy has always been largely based on the honor system. We were selected for being models of behaviour for all younger students. Heads are also pretty much adults who are returning for an optional final year because the careers they want to pursue require it (5) Just in case of parental concerns about any hanky panky taking place the portraits in the common room were placed there as chaperones. I understood immediately that Scorpius had no intention of letting the last time stay the last time.

It wasn't. Not by a long shot. I'm not 100% sure what my reputation was. I am sure he must have heard at least some of the locker room talk started by boys I've gone on dates with. But I actually was fairly inexperienced because the other boys were clumsy and selfish and had no idea what they were doing. I'd never let anyone go as far as Scorpius had in the Infirmary. I certainly hadn't given away my virginity to the likes of Harry Wood or any of the other aggressive jocks who pursued me.

That makes it is a little embarrassing to admit that I fell into bed with Scorpius within a matter of hours. There was no pleading. No coercion. He didn't make me feel pressured at all. Quite the opposite. He asked permission to do everything and kept telling me we didn't need to go any further. Who knew consent could be so sexy? I was the one who insisted we keep going. I haven't slept in my own bed since. Which is making me feel slightly guilty for how harshly I judged other girls before for being a bit quick to hand out their favours. Turns out who you are with counts for a lot.

There was one brief freak out when my cycle was a few days late but that's behind us now. Scorpius was so thoughtful and supportive. Now he reminds me to take my potion everyday. I don't have a single regret about being with him. I just wish I'd gotten over myself sooner. There is only six months left in our final year at Hogwarts. Somehow that doesn't seem like long enough. I'm not sure what our relationship will look like when we aren't here. Christmas break is only a week away so I guess I'll get a sense of it then. Not that we plan to go public just yet. We are going to sneak off to Paris together for the New Year. Yeah for Fall birthdays (6) and not needing parental permission to travel anymore! I suppose we'll need to start telling people about us eventually, but right now I am enjoying the romance and illicit excitement of a secret affair.

5\. Albus Potter is studying to be healer. Scorpius wants to join the Ministry. Rose secretly has no idea what she wants to do but is seen as Hermione II in most people's eyes so 7th year was just expected.

6 Hogwarts students must be 11 at the start of term which mean all fall babies must wait until the following school year and are the oldest in their co-hort. Rose's birthday was 0ctober 9th, Scorpius's was September 24th.

POV

"Albus things are good between me and Rose. Just leave well enough alone. I'm spending part of the break with your family. Don't make it more awkward then it needs to be." I plead with my best friend. He has gotten it in his head that since Rose and I are both Heads she should be more respectful towards me in front of others.

Where would the fun be in that? If Rose started acting friendly people might start watching us more closely together and that is the last thing either of us wants yet. She warms by bed every night and if she's extra saucy towards me it gives me any excuse to warm my palms. I rub them together and watch her wiggle on her stool trying to get comfortable. Nope there is nothing I am going to do to endanger our current arrangement.

I promise Albus, "If she does anything to cause a scene I will be the one to give her the tongue lashing she will have earned, but that will be in private. The Head Boy and Head Girl have a shared common room for a reason. Any issue I have with Rose will be handled, by me, behind closed doors." This reassurance seems to mollify Albus at least temporarily. But thinking about the tongue lashing I gave her last night means it is my turn to squirm uncomfortably in my seat. She is wearing a skirt today with ankle socks. Not at all appropriate for the weather but she has to change before quidditch practice anyways and she knows the outfit gets to me.

It is like a game of cat and mouse. Not so much us against each other, though a little bit of that, mainly us against the rest of the school. Pushing it to see how much we can get away with together without anyone catching on. I love it. It is a massive adrenaline rush.

But all the games we play are just that, games. I'm not sure I've gotten through to Rose yet about how seriously I take it underneath. Any games I play I play for keeps. We head home for Christmas break the day after tomorrow. Christmas is going to be so hard. I have to tolerate nearly a week of my father and his new girlfriend before I can see Rose again for Christmas at the Burrow. Christmas is usually when I miss Mum the most. But this year I have an extra special reason to be happy. Or at least I think I do. I am trying not to let myself get too attached yet. I got attached at Halloween and then ended up devastated. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Christmas Day I get to join Albus and Rose and the entire Potter-Granger-Weasely-Lupin clan at The Burrow. The Burrow has to be my favourite place to be outside of Rose. She and Albus have the nicest grandparents and it is wonderful to be part of a big, boisterous happy family. I can spend my days tinkering with muggle inventions with Grandpa Arthur while Rose helps her Grandma bake dozens of Christmas cookies. We play quidditch, trivia games (I'm not allowed on the same team as Minister Granger) and charades with the whole family and I might even be able to sneak off with Rose for a literal and figurative roll in the hay. Don't know how we are going to keep it all under wraps. I am so happy and in love it is bursting out of me.

The best part is going to be New Year's. No one knows it yet but I'm not staying to New Year's and neither is Rose. I'm going to send an owl to myself saying Dad's girlfriend dumped him and he wants me home for it. Rose is going to get a last minute invite to 'Polly's' and the two of us are heading to a swanky muggle hotel in Paris. I've already got the suite booked. You better believe it will be full to the rafters with bread and roses. But my real focus is on appointments I've made for us at a muggle clinic. Since the beginning of November I have been obsessed with health. What if I inherited the genes that killed my mother? Even if I am only a carrier what if I passed them on to a child?

For the past six weeks I have been reading up compulsively about genetics and fertility. Rather than continue to drive myself mad with worry I am going to make sure we are both thoroughly tested. I am hoping we both walk away with a clean bill of health and assurances that we are likely to have healthy children. Just in case I have started Rose on a potion that works like a muggle multivitamin. You can't be too careful with your health and after I lost my Mum at such a young age I am not going to risk Rose's.

She lets out an inelegant yawn. "I don't know if it is the shorter days but I can't seem to get enough sleep these days." I'm sure I am responsible for that in more ways than one but don't respond to it and raw unwanted attention. We try to keep public interactions to our roles as co-Heads.

"Well," Ester MacMillan said from the table next to Rose's "Just two more days and we'll all be able to sleep in to our hearts content. Nothing but late mornings, Christmas cookies and hot buttered rum."

"Eeww yelch. Hot buttered rum. The mere thought of it turns my stomach." Aversion to certain scents duly noted. I swear there was a passage I read about that somewhere.

"Since when" Albus puts in "I swear I remember your mother gave you heck for it last year when you helped yourself to five glasses." I just want to strangle him sometimes. Why does he always need to try and make Rose look bad. I've never been offended by Rose's treatment of me in public I don't know why he is.

"Well maybe I made myself sick on it because right now just the thought is turning my stomach." I am already reaching for my backup flask of potion. I am constantly refining it to make sure it contains everything Rose needs.

"Doesn't do to be sick right before your traveling. I was fighting off a stomach bug the other day and this potion helped. I made too much why don't you take it." A pretty glaring lie but all I can come up with short notice.

Rose frowns but acquiesces. But I've earned myself a questioning eyebrow raise from Albus. He knows that I have a steel stomach and would never need that kind of potion. I smile tightly and change the subject. He has been on my case a lot lately. To be fair I have barely seen him outside of class. Quidditch and Head duties are pretty huge time sucks. But really it is mainly my inability to spend an hour away from Rose without going into some kind of withdrawal. He may be legitimately concerned about my mental health as he can see that my obsession with all things Rose has gotten 1000 times worse. He just doesn't know its because I am in an actual relationship with her.

He has always been vocal about his disapproval and I am just not ready to tell him. Maybe its unfair but I am planning to wait until everything is fait accompli. Ma vie en Rose. The life I always dreamed of is finally coming true and I am not going to do anything to jeopardize it. Speaking if which, I need to make a mental note to stop by Gringots and pay a little visit to the family vault on the way to Malfoy Manor.

Rose's Christmas present is going to be my mother's wedding ring. Maybe that sounds a bit overboard but my parents married right away when they hit it off at a garden party a year or two after my mother left Hogwarts. She was the same age as Albus's mother. So aware of my father but the two never met socially until then. When you know you just know. He proposed three weeks later and they were married a month after that.

From my perspective this has been a long time coming. From the moment I glimpsed her on the platform visions of love and marriage, and a whole quidditch team of blond and ginger haired children filled my head. That vision grew clearer when I visited the Burrow for the first time and got to participate in one of the family matches (7) . Every time I have been caught with my heads in the clouds that has been where my thoughts were. Me and Rose and a big happy family.

For 7 long years I have known Rose was the only girl for me. Now I just need to convince her of that fact.

7I It was the first such match where Scorpius learned he had natural talent as a seeker. He hadn't actually been allowed to play before as his parents were very protective of his health. Worried he might be fragile like his mother. It turned out the concerns were misplaced. He actually could have gone on to play professionally if he had been remotely interested in doing so. Instead he wanted what Grandpa Arthur had. The ability to sit in a sunny spot and watch a team made entirely of children and grandchildren play friendly matches against each other.

t was the first such match where Scorpius learned he had natural talent as a seeker. He hadn't actually been allowed to play before as his parents were very protective of his health. Worried he might be fragile like his mother. It turned out the concerns were misplaced. He actually could have gone on to play professionally if he had been remotely interested in doing so. Instead he wanted what Grandpa Arthur had. The ability to sit in a sunny spot and watch a team made entirely of children and grandchildren play friendly matches against each other.

7\. Rose POV

I am not sure I even recognize my own life anymore. All of the things I would have sworn were the most important things in my life just a few short months ago, namely my status and reputation, mean so little to me now. Conversely what I had placed low value on before is suddenly of primary importance. Wanting to please others more than myself is new for me.

It has been a little bit sobering to realize how low my family's opinion must have been of me. No fewer than eight family members (8) came up to me at different times to praise my maturity and thank me for how friendly and welcoming I was being with Scorpius. Even Al has stopped giving me the cold shoulder though he still regards me with some suspicion. That's nothing though. Al has always been suspicious by nature.

I guess it is really important particularly to the older generations that Weasley's maintain their tradition of being accepting of all. They still suffered lingering guilt for how long it took them to accept Scorpius as Albus's best friend and accept him as a member of the extended family. Uncle Harry had one too many cups of egg nog and delivered a whole speech about what it was like to be an orphan at Christmas and how coming to the Burrow had made him feel. After Christmas dinner I excuse myself to go 'apologize' to Scorpius for past treatment'. That bought us twenty minutes alone time in his room. I barely had time to make myself decent when Uncle Harry knocked on the door before he was opening it to see how it went.

"Its all good." Scorpius reassured him "we were just exchanging presents." The rogue. I was still sitting on his hand at the time.

"You are completely wicked, you know that right?" I whispered to him as he pulled me back onto his lap.

"Sweetheart my last name in Malfoy, I am a 37th generation Slytherine, and I took your virginity about two months back. What part were you missing. Do you want to meet my snake again? I think you've nearly mastered parseltongue but you could probably use another lesson." My jaw dropped. He had never been so bold. But then he had never been so happy and at ease.

Sobering he'd asked "Did you remember to take your potion?"

I love that he always thinks to ask. He even mixes my potion himself. Has done so ever since our little scare at Halloween. He says its because of his mother. He would never do anything to compromise my health. "I think I did this morning." I'd told him. "It is hard being out of our usual routine and sharing a room with Lily." He offered a back up flask just in case and that earned him an extra round before we snuck downstairs separately.

The trip to Paris went off without a hitch Scorpius even arranged appointments at a muggle clinic to have some tests because you can't be to careful with your health. He had the most romantic surprise in store to. I am afraid to ask what it cost but we had a pretend wedding. My French is merde so I had to rely on him to interpret everything. It was a lot of touristy fun. The ceremony was at Notre Dame. We danced on a river boat that took us down the Seine. We had dessert at sunset on the Eiffel tower. And the hotel suite was stuffed with bread and roses. Far, far more over the top then I would ever want for my actual wedding but as a crazy touristy adventure away from the reality of everyday life it was perfect. He even gave me a real ring which he said was my real belated Christmas present. I wanted to fuss about it being too much but he insisted it was that or a castle in the south of France. In the end I just thanked him and bought him something cheap in a pawn shop for our fake wedding ceremony. I let him spoil me so completely I probably gained a stone by the time we needed to head home. My clothes are definitely fitting tighter. But I've gained in the chest to so it's not all bad.

On the way back on the Hogwarts Express we were able to steal a few minutes to cuddle together. I even briefly fell asleep in his arms, which says a lot as I never sleep on trains. I'm happier and more at home in my skin then I've ever been. The blissful state continued throughout the day. All through directing students back to school and helping everyone get settled. Tracking down lost pets, drying the tears of first years back to being homesick. I was so sunny everyone remarked on it.

'Rose you must have had a great holiday!"

' You are just beaming."

"Did you meet someone special?"

' You're radiant."

" You're blooming Rose! Ha ha ha!"

And its true I am. Being in love is really agreeing with me. I practically floated through my day till it was finally time to call it an early night. I went to retrieve some of the things I still kept in my room and went to replace my calendar. Out with the old year in with the new. But as I was about to bin it something caught my eye.

My red circle marking the week at the beginning of December when my monthly should have started stared back at me. It was January and it still hadn't made an appearance . I flipped it back a month to November. It had come late then and extra heavy. That was what had given us the scare. It was after that Scorpius started preparing my anti-pregnancy potion himself and reminding me to take it. He had cautioned that it might throw off my cycle slightly as his was not identical. And for almost two weeks at the end of November I felt crazy and hormonal. I kept thinking my flow would show any day. I'd been crampy, nauseated and my breasts had even felt tender but all I had to show for it was one day with a few brownish spots on my knickers. That was pretty much what had happened the week before the last period so I put it out of my mind.

Now all the worry comes racing back tenfold and I barely make it to the loo in time to lose my dinner into it. Scorpius appears in the doorway.

"You alright Rose? I just got an owl from my father. That daft muggle clinic sent our results to the manor instead of the house. Luckily he didn't read it. You'll never guess the good news!"

I interrupted his rambling by adding afternoon tea to my tribute to the porcelain gods.

"Oh dear. Ma pauvre femme! Here let me get you a cold cloth and a drink of water. Did you take your potion this morning? I know it is hard to keep track of it while travelling but it should help with that."

I slid against the wall and let him take care of me trying to let my stomach settle. "Why is that? " I asked at length. "Why would that potion keep me from throwing up."

"Well it is supposed to promote health. It isn't all that different than a muggle multivitamin in many ways. It makes sure your body has everything it needs so everything can develop normally. But where as muggle multivitamins can make women more nauseous my potion works to settle the stomach. Not much point in putting all the healthy stuff in there if it won't stay down right? Would you care for a cracker I here they help."

I waved off the crackers as the mere idea of putting anything on my stomach made it cramp and rebel. "Multi- what now?"

"Multivitamins. Muggles use them to supplement their diets. They have candy looking ones for children. There are ones designed for the elderly. Others for athletes. All women should really have them to prevent low iron but they are absolutely critical for pregnant women. Growing a baby is quite a business. If you don't have just the right diet it can lead to birth defects, pregnancy complications and even , miscarriage." He got quiet at the end and gave my hand a meaningful squeeze. I felt like I was missing something.

"My brain isn't co-operating. Can you explain to me, slowly, what all that has to do with the potion you mix for me."

" Well I tried to ensure it had all of the best ideas muggles but into their with a few improvements of my own. Like I said my potion contains a few things to settle the stomach. None of the muggle pills do that. They tried it once and it ended in hundreds of babies being born with out proper arms or legs. But don't worry mine is completely safe. I would never take chances with your health."

"Babies without arms?" I repeated horrified.

"Mmm. Or legs. Thalidomide it was called." And he kept on spouting all sorts of facts about this muggle pill but I tuned him out, my poor brain trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"Why would a birth control pill result in babies born without proper limbs?" I interrupted when I worked out the part I was getting stuck on.

"No. No. It wasn't a birth control pill. It was a prenatal vitamin. They were trying to help mothers with violent morning sickness. I put some ingredients from traditional anti-morning sickness potions into the one I was making you so you'd have no trouble keeping it down."

"Anti-morning sickness potions?" I mouthed.

"Yeah that's why I make it butter beer flavoured. Most pregnancy potions taste naturally of licorice because of the star anise but I know the thought of black licorice makes you sick even when you're not pregnant so I decided to" I couldn't hear anything else because of the rushing in my ears and suddenly everything turned white.

8 Grandpa Arthur, Uncle Harry, Ron, Hermione, Teddy, Aunt Ginny, Lily, and Victoire

8\. Scorpius POV

I am not quite sure what I expected from my first, well I guess technically second, foray into parenthood. Somehow with all the steps and precautions I took I didn't expect it to involve Rose passing out before I could give her the good news. The clinic in Paris confirmed she was pregnant. About eight nearly nine weeks. Better yet I'm not a carrier for the wasting disease that killed my mother and the miscarriage we had at the beginning of November was completely random. We are completely genetically compatible though distantly related and have no reason to fear any health problems for Rose or baby during this or any future pregnancy. Up until Rose feinted I was feeling quite relieved.

I had to call my house elf Tilly (9) to get her down to the Infirmary quickly enough. House elfs can just pop in and out so much more smoothly than wizards. I thanked her profusely and sent her back for the potion which I was to over come to remember. I am already trying to work out what to add to prevent future feinting spells. Is it possible Rose's iron is too low. I'll ask Tilly to bring my muggle medical texts next. I keep them in miniature in a dolls house in my room along with practically everything the wizarding world has ever written on the subject of pregnancy.

Rose knows about the doll house because I'd look like a complete lobby if I didn't explain it to her. Albus and I made use of it all the years we roomed together. It was a trick my mother taught me. If you buy top end doll furniture made with real silk, wood, nails ect. but in miniature a simple transfiguration spell could let you live like a king on a pauper's budget. A handy trick for a student. The king sized bed Rose and I bought in Paris is taking the principle a step further. We bought a full scale piece shrank it for transport and disguised it as doll furniture till I could set it up in our room. But I digress. I explained all this to Rose but she never spent much time looking at the doll house so she never noticed that all the book I keep on its bookshelves are real books. She also hasn't thought carefully yet about the desk and dresser I keep in there because she would find it easy to figure out where I keep hiding her knickers if she had.

"Malfoy?" Rose calls to me weakly and I hurry over calling for Mme Pomfrey as I do. She has been and out of the room for several minutes.

"Right here ma vie!" I reassure her.

Rose eyes dart over to Mme Pomfrey looking panicked. And the shrewd old witch catches the look.

"Oh it's too late for that dearie. I am afraid I am already aware of Mr. Malfoy's role in your current predicament. I'll give you one thing, if you've been looking for some way of differentiating yourself from your mother you've finally done it. In all my years here, Ms Granger-Weasely I have never heard of a Head Girl getting pregnant. Least of all by the Head Boy."

"Malfoy." I correct.

"I know your name Mr. Malfoy." Mme Pomfrey puffs up.

"Not mine hers." I take Rose's left hand and hold it up showing off my mother's ring. "She's Mrs. Malfoy now not Ms. Granger-Weasely." Mme Pomfrey has nothing to say to this. He mouth just works open and shut silently for a bit. I turn to Rose hoping to get a smile as a reward for putting the old biddy in her place but find she has passed out again.

"Tilly!" I call slightly panicked. "Now would be good with that potion."

She pops back into the room and hands it to me. "Sorry Young Master Scorpius. There were a great many potions in your room and Tilly wanted to be sure she had the right one. Oh dea,r did poor missus faint again?"

"Yes. I'm afraid she did. Can you please fetch Albus it would be really helpful to know some family history here. Or do I mean Grandma Weasely? I am getting out of my depth here. You know what bring them both. Grandma first because Rose needs help first and foremost then Grandpa Weasely and Albus a few minutes later. We did things ever so slightly out of order and I am pretty certain Molly Weasely is goid in a crisis but you can never tell when you'll need back up. I shooed Mme. Pomrey away. She took some persuading to leave us alone and keep her mouth shut. It is amazing what bribery and a well placed memory charm with do to buy someone's silence and cooperation.

If there is an expression I was reared on it was never force anyone to do anything they won't do willingly with the proper motivation. I will give the old witch credit. She held out not for personal gain but more healing supplies to help the school. Her heart is in the right place even if she was being a judgmental bitch to Rose.

So there I stood still clutching the letter from Paris when Tilly popped Nana Molly into the room.

"Scorpius dear. Where is my little Rosebud? This Tilly creature said it was an emergency."

I couldn't restrain myself from running over and getting a hug. "Oh thank goodness you here. I thought I had a handle on all of this but today everything completely fell apart."

I explained in an embarrassingly uneven tone that Rose and I had been hiding our relationship for months. I edited a little but she got the most important details. We'd eloped in Paris. Rose was pregnant and I was terrified of losing her and or the baby. "

She shushed me and rubbed my shoulder till I calmed down. "I understand your panic but this is probably nothing. Miscarriages can happen even to healthy young couples like you. They are completely random. That doesn't mean you'll ever have one again. It also means there are no guarantees you won't but if you're doing all you've been doing the odds are in your favour."

"How did you know?" I asked amazed.

She gave a dismissive wave of her hand and sat on the edge of Rose's bed stroking her forehead. "Young people always think they are immortal and that the world owes them sunshine and roses. Only experience teaches you otherwise."

9* Tilly is the House Elf from Malfoy House. She was more of a nursemaid and had a warm relationship with her employers. As such she stayed in their employment willingly and was hidden from those who frowned on that sort of thing. Malfoy House was largely Scorpius's residence and so he always called on her for help but gave others the impression she was living in the Hogwarts kitchens.

9\. Rose POV

My head was pounding worse then the time in 5th year Polly and I drank half a bottle of fire whiskey and my stomach felt similar distress. I opened my eyes and the light blinded me.

Mum, Dad?" What on Earth were they doing here?

"Oh Rose." Mum gave my hand a squeeze. "You gave us all such a fright."

"Petal?" Dad's voice wobbled the way it always does when he's had an upset. He sat on my other side and stroked my forehead. "You know we love you no matter what don't you. I know we were all a little harsh on Scorpius to start with but you must admit even you were back in the day. But we love him now like family. We'd never reject your relationship just because of who his father is. I mean we determined that there is only about a 1% chance his father is Voldemort not Draco but that's still a chance right? Ouch! Kidding! I was kidding. It was just a joke." He rubs his side where my mother jabbed him hard in the ribs.

I bury my face in his shoulder. Oh Merlin. How do my parents know about my relationship with Scorpius. What on earth was going on.

"Dad? Mum?" This time I give voice to the question. "Why are you two here?"

"Scorpius called us!" They answer in chorus.

"Now I'll admit that we were a bit hurt that he called your grandparents and Albus first. But he wasn't sure how we would take the news and was worried about you but also frightened himself. You gave that poor boy such a scare. So we decided to forgive yon both for not asking for our blessing beforehand andfor calling the people he knew would be supportive first."

Blessing? Why would I need their blessing just to start a relationship with Scorpius. I know it took them a while to warm up to him but they were the very people thanking me at Christmas for being nicer to him. Out loud I ask "What happened that frightened Scorpius so much? Did you just say Nana and Grandad are here I thought I'd dreamed that? Can't one of you please tell me what's going on?" My head swims. They may as well be speaking Greek for all the sense they are making.

Then the door opens a crack letting in a din from outside and Scorpius' head appears. Seeing me he enters shutting the door behind him. "Oh ma vie. Thank Merlin you are up. I think you took a few years off my life Rose you kept fainting. And Mme Comfreys was no help at all. I did my best to buy her silence but it was only a matter of time before it all got out and I didn't know enough about your family medical history. I'm sorry you didn't get to be the one to tell them."

He isn't making anymore sense than they were. "Tell them WHAT?" They all frowned at me for shouting, then looked concerned when I grab my spinning head.

"Oh you know, everything. How relentless I was in pursuing you. The breads and roses" He colours a little and gestures to a rose bud vase holding a single blossom and a plate with a crusty bread. Because of course being Scorpius nothing will make him forget those.

"You told them about us?" He kisses my cheek and nods. "I didn't want them to think this was as mad and impulsive as it might look from the outside. I'll never know why you finally gave in, but I'll always be grateful that you did. The most important thing is that you are okay and the baby's okay. We can always have a second wedding so your whole family can be there down the road!"

"Baby?" I parrot. "WEDDING? What on Godric's green Earth are you talking about?" I can't keep the panic from my voice. Scorpius' face drains of all colour.

"You-you don't remember?" I can only shake my head. My parents surround me.

"Oh Rose!" my mother squeezes my right hand.

"Poor petal!" My father smoothes back my hair.

Scorpius keeps hold of my left hand rubbing his thumb absently over the giant emerald on my ring finger. "Shortly after Halloween we had a miscarriage." His eyes are trained on mine looking for confirmation that I remember what he is telling me. I shake my head in a gentle denial. No there had been no miscarriage. He presses on.

"We were really upset and frightened so I did a ton of research and started you on a new potion to help you recover faster and prevent it from happening again. For New Year's we snuck off to Paris. There is a world class muggle clinic and we went there to get tested." I nod relieved to finally have something make sense. Scorpius mirrors my relief.

"Because of your mother?" I ask to confirm I am remembering it right.

Scorpius nods enthusiastically. "Exactly."

"And you said you can't be too careful with your health!'" I am rewarded with a quick peck on the forehead.

"Merlin you had me scared for a minute there Rose!" He grins up at my parents who grin back. "So the next day we eloped. I managed to arrange the ceremony at Notre Dame, I never did tell you all the strings I had to pull to carry that off. Then we had a lovely honeymoon at the George V and you were in top form all the way home. I was trying to give you the good news from the clinic when the vomiting and feinting started. You are two months pregnant and the baby has no chance of inheriting my mother's wasting disease." Up until today I never fainted a single time in my life. This time makes four in one day.

10\. Scorpius POV

"Should we transfer her to hospital?" I ask Rose's parent concerned.

"Perhaps it would be best." Her mother is quick to agree. "At least until all this fainting is behind her. What do you think Ron?"

"Mmm." Ronald Weasely strokes his beard thoughtfully and gazes down at Rose. "That would probably be a good idea. Our baby has never been a fainter. Of course our baby has never been having a baby before. I still can't quite believe it." I will confess that I was worried about how Rose's father was going to take the news. Every story Dad ever told about him made him out as quite a hot head ruled by his emotions. But so far he has been nothing but supportive. Rose's health is our shared top concern. I suspect things might have been different if this crises wasn't distracting from the elopement. Everything I've ever seen of the man says he is solid under pressure.

"I just don't understand why this keeps happening." I lament. Running my free hand through my hair in frustration. "I have gone over my formula again and again. There should be no fainting or vomiting. Maybe she just didn't have enough this morning. Travel can make it hard to stick to a routine." I thought I've been so careful. What I am missing?

Ron gives me a fatherly pat on the shoulder. "No one is blaming anyone. I think we should ask my mother. Mione and I have only been through it twice and this was never a problem for her. But my mother went through it seven times and knows the history of this stuff much better than we do.

"Yes that was my thinking exactly. But she says she never had any problems like this and neither did Ginny or Victoire. I suppose it might be stress. I am nothing but relieved by the results from Paris but maybe it hasn't had time to sink in."

Just then the shouting reaches us through the closed door. "Scorpius! SCORPIUS MALFOY!" My father's voice echoed from the corridor outside. "Merlin's beard this place is crawling with Weasely's! Hello Albus! Would you mind pointing me in the direction of my son? I got an owl saying it was an emergency and to find him in the Infirmary. Minerva McGonagall hadn't the least clue what it was about."

Oh damn and blast. Just what this situation needed. I knew I couldn't leave my father in the dark as he'd feel hurt and never let me hear the end of it. But I had rather hoped the Weasley's would have cleared out by the time Dad got here. Maybe he has broken up with his girlfriend after all. I counted on his being home at Malfoy Manor this morning as bad luck and assumed he'd be back at her place when gauging the time it would take my owl, Aristotle to find him.

"He's just inside with Rose and her parent's. He's in perfect health if the owl wasn't clear. It would be best if he explained the rest himself." And then my father was marching through the door.

"Granger, Weasely" He nods politely if stiffly to Rose's parents. To say they were never close in their school days is something of an understatement.

"Scorpius do you mind explaining what I am doing here? Your owl gave me the impression that the situation was life and death, but you seem fine and all I can see is Weasley's as far as the eye can see. "

I take a half step to the side revealing Rose's prone form.

"I am sorry for anything bad that has befallen your daughter but I can assure you it has nothing to with me. My dark art days are far behind me." My father reassures Rose's parents casting a hurt glance in my direction clearly drawing a the wrong inferences.

"Malfoy I don't know how you get the wrong end of the wand every bloody time. You are given facts 2+2 and come out with 9. No one is accusing you of anything." Ron put in, the frustration clear in his voice.

"I'm sorry if I overstated in the owl a bit. I was in a full panic when I sent it. I've mostly good news actually. At least I hope you'll think so." My father looks at me expectantly. I pause to think of the best way to phrase it.

"He knocked up are daughter and eloped with her in Paris over the Christmas break." Ron puts in before I could say anything.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione gasps outraged.

My father is the picture of shock. He looked to me for confirmation. I nodded suddenly to overwhelmed to speak. I desperately missed my mother in that moment. Somehow she would have known just the right thing to do to smooth everything over and make me feel better about the situation.

"A grandchild really?" My father's voice was carefully neutral. I nodded again and cleared my throat shoving my grief away. I retrieved the letter with the results frim my pocket and held it out to him.

"And that isn't even the best part. I'm not a carrier. The baby won't get what took mom and neither will any of our other children." My father is not normally a demonstrative man. Even when my mother died it was mainly squeezed hands and shoulder hugs but this time he grabbed my bodily and swung me around.

"That is the best news I have heard in three years. A healthy heir and you said you already married the girl. Of course of course. This thing says nine weeks. One month would have been better of course but beggars and choosers. A healthy baby and healthy mother that's what counts. Oh! Oh dear! What's wrong with her can I help." My father finally gave me a chance to re-enter the conversation.

"That is what we are all trying to figure out. There is no reason Rose should be fainting all the time but she is." I ticked off on my fingers " She's been taking her potion everyday and I brew it myself. If she misses I carry back up. She has no previous history of fainting. None of the women in her family had problems like this while pregnant. It just doesn't make sense."

"Oh is that all. Well that would be your fault. Well technically some great great grandfather. But Malfoy's are notoriously hard on their mother's. It's why most stop at one. My mother would drop like a stone at every little thing while pregnant with me which given the context you will appreciate was neither in character nor convenient. Voldemort wasn't the kind of person you wanted to expose your weaknesses to. Your mother poor dear was confined to bed rest for the duration. If Rose hasn't had any troubles up until now you are really doing quite well. Surprised you didn't just ask Tilly. I saw her right outside." I catch Minister Granger mouthing "Tilly?" clearly putting together that the House Elf didn't come from Hogwarts kitchens as she'd probably assumed. Fortunately Dad isn't near done and what he says next sweeps all thoughts of House Elves aside.

"I suspect you can thank Molly Weasely for how well Rose has been bearing up. She had seven no trouble. Stands to reason Rose would hold up better than most. Hey do you suppose there is a chance its twins? It would be really nice to have an heir and a spare for once. Time will tell I guess." Somehow that makes something click in my brain.

"Father that's brilliant. I don't know why the thought never occurred to me. I made all of my calculations based off of one baby. Two would throw my ratios right off." I am elated to have a testable hypothesis.

"Are you implying." Rose's mother asked.

"Indeed. I can't save how relieved I am. The clinic did make a note of her hormone levels being on the high side." I retrieved the document to Minister Granger. "See right there. They show the range of normal for detecting pregnancy levels and she is right at the top of the scale."

"Mmm yes. That does have certain implications. I suppose we should stop gossiping about it and check. Where do you suppose Mme. Pomfrey got to."

"Oh no. Not her." I objected. "She was rude and horrid to Rose before. I've sent Tilly to fetch someone she'll be here with them momentarily."

"What did she say to Rose?" Ron asked.

"Did you just say you think it really could be twins?" Dad asked at the same moment.

"Vere is zee mother-to be?" asked Dr. Rheingold the healer Tilly retrieved from his clinic in Zürich.

Rose stirred and I propped her up against my chest. Her mother took her hand and stroked it gently while her father stood behind her. "Rose, ma vie. Time to wake up. Take it slow and easy. You've had quite a day." I murmured into her ear.

"Mmm let me sleep lover. I don't know why I'm so tired after our holiday but I feel like I could sleep for days." She kept her eyes closed and yawned then nuzzled into me. "Unless you were thinking of a way to making waking up more pleasant. She went to cup me and I managed to catch her wrist firmly and kiss her hand.

"Rose mon amour, our parents are here and the healer is ready to examine you." That did the trick. Her eyes sprang open and she tries to sit abruptly but I restrained her.

"Oh no. I hoped I'd dreamed that part." She worried her lip and looked down at her blankets, a furious blush mounting on her face.

"Zer zer" said Dr. Rheingold. "Zee fainting eez nussing to be embarrassed about ya?" He took her wrist and checked her pulse. "Vee vill have you up unt runnink in no time at all." He paused to monitor her heart rate for a moment. "Ya ya. I sink a leetle rest in a stress free environment eez just vut you need.

Now let us make sure everyvun is in zee best uv health." He placed his wand on her lower abdomen and suddenly a syncopated rhythm filled the room. "Ah vut a symphony. Ya ya. Zey are healthy leetle sing. Vud you be vanting to see zem?"

The whole room was far too emotional to talk. I wiped the tears from Rose's eyes and nodded my ascent.

He twisted his wrist and suddenly their forms were projected before us. Two little beans with heart beats. My heart felt like it would burst from happiness. Not only would I be a father but a father to twins. I had never known such joy.

11\. Rose POV

I am the worst mother ever. I feel like I am in a nightmare I can't quite wake up from. I am pregnant , with twins. Twin Malfoy's because apparently that was a real wedding. I feel trapped but I can't even lash out because I know even in my least rational moments none of it was intentional. Or rather it was all intentional on Scorpius's part. But he thought I was onboard for it all. The whole thing is a giant farce I'd be laughing at if it was anyone else's life but mine.

I cried tears of relief at getting my period a week late. He cried tears of grief realizing I had miscarried and thought I was as broken hearted as he was.

He suggested I change potions to prevent it happening again. I assumed he meant preventing another pregnancy scare, and was too embarrassed to admit I had been to immature and irresponsible to have been on anything at all before.

He proposed a holiday in Paris so we could get check ups at a renowned Muggle clinic. I never bothered to clarify what they were renowned for. Turns out fertility. Yeah all the pregnant ladies and baby pictures should have been a clue but all the posters had been in French. Scorpius is fluently bilingual (10) so I'd let him do all the talking and act as interpreter. It's not like I had been sexually active for more than a few weeks or had had multiple partners. How the hades was I supposed to know that's not what a typical family planning clinic looks like. I just remember the one nurse kept acting like she was flirting with Scorpius and I kept getting progressively more annoyed. I ended up nearly losing it on her and him offering some sort of apology/explanation. I retrospect it was probably something like 'don't mind my girlfriend this pregnancy is making her crazy.

He must have had some idea I was probably pregnant then because that is when he brought up the wedding. He proposed in French. Which seemed very romantic and cheesy at the time. I could only understand every second word. Again hindsight is 20/20. I very much doubt Scorpius has a clear idea exactly how poor my understanding of French really is. He just knows it really turns me on to hear him speak it so he broke into it often in private even before we got to Paris.

So yeah. Hello bed I am totally the one who made you but I have little to no desire to lay down. Okay bad metaphor. I am exhausted all the time and would be willing to take a quick nap on pretty much any available surface.

And reputation wise. Yeah. Don't even get me started. Marrying before convocation and providing your husband with heirs is apparently not what all the cool kids are doing these days. Basically I am a stupid whore who got knocked up all by herself.

Scorpius on the other hand. He is the man. Helios himself needs shades around Scorpius these days. Banged the hottest girl in school. Check. Knocked her up with twins using him magic seed. Check. Was a total romantic rebel and eloped with her in Paris. Check check check. He is a real renegade that one. Societal conventions be damned. Scorpius is cooler than a cucumber about the whole thing and everybody loves him for it. He is soo responsible. He is soo mature. He is such a stand up guy. I am so lucky to have him.

I want to kill him. Or I would if he didn't give the best back and foot massages. And other massages. Okay so he pretty much fulfills my every need and whim. Still. How is it fair that I am a social pariah for the exact reason his popularity has gone through the roof.

I am bored to tears. I am now a little over 8 months pregnant but it feels like much longer and that these babies are never going to come. Two weeks ago that stupid healer Dr. Rheingold ordered me onto bedrest. Now I can do nothing but rest all day long with my feet up. I've probably gained at least half a stone from all the Belgian chocolates Scorpius keeps bringing home in an attempt to appease me. If anything they make it worse. I was already feeling like a beached whale. Now I worry I am starting to like one.

Tilly tries to keep me entertained and cared for but I am terribly uncomfortable with relying on the services of a House Elf. My mother was the founder of SPEW for heavens sake.

But the few fight I've had with Scorpius have been about Tilly. She isn't just a servant, she's family he insists. And caring for babies is her favourite thing in the world. She's like a second mother to him. How can I be so heartless as to ask a loyal House Elf who has worked for his family for three generations to leave her home and everything she knows just because I'm not used to having a House Elf around to help out. So I invent little tasks for her to do until the babies come. Right now she is at the flower market looking for a rose Scorpius sent me last February. It is only available in Israel so it should take her awhile.

Aside from Tilly it has been ridiculously easy to adjust to my new life. We live in Malfoy House in London. The older part of London is really quite small so it is close to my parents', the Ministry and Diagon Alley. Before I was ordered off my feet I could go for visits, shop for myself, the house, the babies and the nursery and go on lunch dates without even needing to upset my stomach with apparating of the floo network.

I am trying to prepare myself for getting these children out of me by reading one of Scorpius's various Muggle books on the subject. But it is boring, and my back is aching. All I really want is for him to get home from work so he can give me a back rub while I devour the triple chocolate ice cream I asked him to bring me.

At last I hear the creak of the stairs. I sit up and set my book aside. I am trying to maintain an illusion of disinterest about the birth. He keeps on suggesting I try natural. I insist to him I'd rather be woken when it's all over. I don't want him to know I am actually reading up on the natural method.

"You better come bearing ice cream." I warn resettling myself with my back to the door. "These demon children are murdering my back and if I can't see my feet over them there had better be ice cream if you expect me to ever do this again."

I look up to find not Scorpius but Albus in the doorway.

"Hey Bitch. Still bitchy I see." What on earth is he doing here?

"Takes one to know one." I retort. "What are you doing here anyways as you are clearly aware Scorpius isn't back yet." This is polite of a hint I'm going to give that he isn't welcome.

"Oh I know. There was some spoiled brat he wanted me to check up on." He holds up a package of my favourite ice cream. "Here suey." He squeals at me like a swineherd.

Of all the nerve! "I am not that fat! I defend smoothing my maternity top over my swollen belly. "There are two babies in here you know. Its no a pair of bludgers for all it feels like it some days." Seriously, it is like they are trying to break my spine.

"Unh huh. I'm pretty sure at least half of that is chocolate. You are just using this pregnancy as cover. We both know you are just stress eating to cope with the fact that you aren't the queen bee anymore."

I open my mouth to deny this but he cuts me off. "Don't pretend for my sake I was never fooled for a moment. My poor best friend is walking around thinking you are delighted to be his wife and the mother of his children. Somehow everyone else bought into that narrative as well. But it just never made sense to me. Me selfish, self obsessed cousin suddenly doing things to make other people happy and signing up for a life time of caring for someone else. Nope not the Rose I know. Not the girl who will pick on a kid whose mom just died. That girl got in this mess by accident.

That girl is feeling trapped and scared as hell but refuses to lose face by admitting this wasn't what she thought she was signing up for. I bet you never thought passed the ride on his broomstick did you?" I swallow uncomfortably and refuse to meet his eye. Merlin's hairy ballcocks how did he work out all of that.

"Fear not dear cousin I am here to cure all your ills." He tosses me a small vile of purplish black liquid.

"What is it? " I ask holding it up to the light to examine it.

"Oh you know bella donna, dragon's blood, wolf's bane. The answer to all your prayers. A miscarriage it a bottle." My heart stuttered in my chest and my blood ran cold. The vile fell from my useless fingers but Albus caught it before it could shatter on the floor. "Shall I mix you up a tincture? I'm sure the ice cream will wash it down nicely." Dumbledore protect me he has gone mad.

"You said Scorpius sent you ?" I asked stalling. My voice sounds shaky even to my own ears.

"Well actually that was a lie. I volunteered. He did want you to have the ice cream though. The aperitif was all my own idea. Come we need to hurry. I this doesn't work I'm going to need to throw you down the stairs."

"Your going to what?! I screech reflexively holding my belly to protect it.

"You know the old fashioned way. Knock a bitch down the stairs and bye bye baby." He takes a step closer to me and I take a step back. How they accepted him as a training healer I will never know.

"Why are you doing this?" I wail getting truly frightened now. "Is this because you are jealous? Is it that we've taken up all Scorpius's time and attention? You know he still cares about you right? You're his best mate. He was willing to risk his life to save yours once and none of that will change." Merlin's beard where did I leave my wand. Stupid pregnancy hormones making me forget where I put it all the time.

"You are right I am still his best friend. And I would risk my life for him. I'd even risk my friendship with him and him never speaking to me again if it would save him from a hellish existence. I can't imagine a worse fate for him then being stuck forever with a bitch who never wanted to be married to him and a pair of unwanted kids. Do you have any idea what it does to children to grow up without love. Did you take away nothing from the life of Tom Riddle . Were you trying to create a new Voldemort and got two for the price of one? That's it isn't it? He slipped you a little amortentia and you reacted like a bitch in heat. Bam two babies you'd be stuck dealing with on your own if the fool hadn't been properly in love with you." He looks down at my rounded belly and sneers.

"Well don't worry about it sweetheart. Your cousin Albus is here to take all your problems away. You can just tell him he reminds you too much of them and what could have been then get an annulment. Make yourself scarce and I'm sure he'll get over you in time."

He takes another step towards me and I take another step back. I spot my wand on the coffee table behind him. I call it to me. "Stay back!" I shout through tears. "You are coming any closer to me or these babies. To think he wanted to name one after you. You have no idea about my relationship with Scorpius. Do you think it was an accident he kept it from you. He knew you'd never approve. You could never understand what he saw in me. Why he kept coming back when all he got was rejection. You never really liked me anyways so what is surprising in that. We were only ever friends out convenience."

I keep my wand pointed at his chest and don't let it waiver. "Scorpius loves me for me. With him I don't need to smile or be nice or pretend to be perfect or anyone other than who I am. Not a variation on my mother. Not a female version of my father. Not a convenient tool to boost his popularity though Merlin it sure feels like it some days." I laugh bitterly then wince as my back throbs again. "Yeah. I'm a bitch. His bitch. He likes me that way. He would change nothing about me but somehow always makes me the best version of myself. And no he never had to use amortentia. He just wore down my resistance. I spent nearly seven years fighting the attraction and he just waited me out. That day in Potions class I just couldn't stand the sight of Polly in his arms even knowing he didn't want her there. He probably could have broken me years ago if he'd ever tried to make me jealous. But he isn't the sort to play those games."

I push Albus back a few steps using my wand. "I'm sure you've convinced yourself that the rumours about me were true. I was always a slut and with Scorpius I just got unlucky. You have some nerve attacking me and my character. You think I didn't know about you and the polyjuice?"

Apparently he didn't as that has him stunned for a moment jaw working. "I-I-I"

"You what ? Forgot I was more than a pretty face. Thought I wouldn't notice the rumours about the boys room coincided with when ever I was offered then use of the invisibility cloak. You always kept the map for yourself though didn't you. I wonder what Harry Wood would say if he knew. I wonder what Scorpius would say." Now he is the one retreating. Surely the Wizengamot wouldn't convict a mother who was only acting in self defense.

"But,but Harry Macmillan said…" Now I really have him on the defensive.

"Harry MacMillan is a deeply closeted little twat who would have been first in line if he'd known it was really you in the locker room polishing everyone's broomsticks. He has never been with a single girl he bragged about being with. Which you'd know if you hadn't been so focused on getting some action with Yeti Dick." Honestly, what is wrong with him that he doesn't understand the basic premise of consent. No wonder he's a Slytherin.

Al bristles at this and finally finds his tongue. "I have not now nor have I ever been interested in Harry Wood." I stare him down and he quickly amends. "At best he was a convenient stand in for someone I thought was out of my reach."

"Merlin's syphilitic sac, your still obsessed with that bulging Bulgarian aren't you? What was his name? The big hairy quidditch player? The one you all met at the Quidditch Cup who looks like a bear." His furious blush confirms it. Certainly explains why he developed an interest in quidditch going into 6th year(11). I can't believe I am having this inane conversation but maybe it will buy a few more minutes till Scorpius or Tilly will arrive home.

"Grraah." The back pain is really getting to me. I wonder idly if this might be what they mean when the books talk about back labor. I really need to get Albus out of here. If I have to hex him I'll do it.

"You know what," I conclude, "not important. As long as you aren't impersonating me anymore I don't care who puts what where. The point is I never even messed around with anyone before Scorpius and yes my first pregnancy was an accident. One I was too clueless to even be aware of. But this pregnancy was planned. Not by me I'll admit. But Scorpius wants these babies desperately. If you think you'd get to live put your days in Azkaban you are delusional. He'll murder you with his bare hands first and I'd help him hide the body. But you need to leave now. Because if you try to harm my children there isn't going to be enough of you left for anyone to find. I didn't plan this pregnancy and I didn't plan this marriage but I love Scorpius I am doing my best to adjust. Now if you want to live I suggestion you walk out of here and pretend this little conversation never happened."

Albus starts clapping. Okay. Clearly insane. Where in hades name is Scorpius? He should be home by now. How am I get this crazed version of Albus out of my home? Should I bind him then levitate him out? How does summoning a House Elf work? I've never tried before and now am seriously regretting that.

"Bravo Rose. That was a test and you passed with flying colours." He pops the lid on the vial of poison and before I can scream in protest downs it. "Mmm, grape cordial my favourite."

"A test?" I echo numbly. He can't be serious. "A test ?" What kind of lunatic comes up to an 8 month pregnant witch and threatens her unborn children to see if she cares about them? Apparently the same sort of individual who doles out blowjobs under false pretenses.

I see red. "That was a Test? I'll show you a test. How are your reflexes?" I hear myself shriek as I pitch one of Scorpius's massive pregnancy manuals at Al's head.

13 .Scorpius POV

I unlock the front door to Malfoy House and shout up. "Rose? Ma Vie? I'm home love. I stopped along the way and got your favourite curry. Did Albus stop by? I knew I'd be running late so I asked him to bring round your favourite ice cream." I hope I've given them enough time to work things out. It was no fun being in between them. Life has otherwise been perfect. I love my job at the ministry. Grandpa Arthur was thrilled when I applied to his old department and was accepted.

Rose has been amazing about everything. She's a bit cranky until after she's had a decent meal and has developed quite a sweet tooth which I why I sent Albus ahead with the ice cream. He said he wanted to clear the air between them before the babies arrive.

"I'm just going to pop it onto plates!" I call and head straight for the kitchen. Albus hasn't let up about me trapping Rose. I keep telling him she's getting on board slowly but he can never leave well enough alone. Was it a bit wicked to impregnate her and trap her in marriage? Yeah a bit. But I'm a Malfoy. What the hell did you expect? I am really a pretty decent guy. Its not like the first pregnancy wasn't unplanned. If it had developed naturally we'd already be parents. Now were about to be parents to twins. Minor detail really.

Rose, ma vie, the love of my life has risen above the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune has risen above it all. I know the double standard really gets to her. Everyone praises me for standing by her. She gets her name dragged through the mud for trapping me when the opposite is true. From the moment our marriage and her pregnancy became public knowledge that has been the case. It is a lot better since we finished our exams and were able to move on from Hogwarts.

Rose admitted that she had never really worked out a post-Hogwarts plan. I already knew this of course because, hello obsessed with her for years. But communication. See we have a healthy functional relationship. We agreed that since she aced the NEWTs and the babies are due at the beginning of September there was no point in her deciding on a career until after they've arrived. Of course she'll busy with them then so there is no pressure for her to make a decision then either. Babies are a lot of work and she'll have two. It is only reasonable that she take twice as long to be at home with them. If she should happen to want to wait to pursue a career until after we're done having kids she'll have my full support.

She has occupied her self these past few months redoing Malfoy House to be our official home (12). That and visiting friends and family members. Teddy and Victoire Lupin are expecting their second child so she even has someone close to her who she can visit and commiserate with. I've been so proud of her.

All day long she is happy sunny Rose then at night it is just the two of us and she saves all her anger and frustrations for me. That is exactly what I want in my marriage. I'd never want or need a wife who is shy or retiring. Rose is stunning, cunning, vivacious and the envy of all I meet. She keeps me on my toes. Is demanding and can appear selfish but she is fiercely loyal.

The life she is living is my dream come true not hers. She doesn't want to hurt me so she has stuck with our marriage through all the shaming and name calling that has come her way. She thinks I don't know but she has even started considering a natural birth because I keep talking about how beneficial it is for the babies. Soothing her sore temper and being magnanimous in the face of her sometimes irrational demands is a privilege I have fought hard to earn.

I add a tomato rose garnish with a side of garlic naan to her plate. I never pass up a chance to remind her of bread and roses and my long pursuit of her.

I call her ma vie because she is. Ma vie en rose. Albus is my best friend and will always be my best friend but I saw a world without Rose in it once and it wasn't one I wanted to live in. My status was higher. Everyone looked for my approval where I was used to being sneered at. But the was no Albus and no Rose. A world without Rose was a world without colour.

I fuss over the placement of the rose. Perhaps with a fake stem in a vase would be better.

I traded a world or status and privilege and unlimited power for one where I was reviled by everyone including Rose herself. I'd do it again in a heart beat. In the years since then I worked to charm her family members and impress her friends and peers, mentors and admirers. I did anything and everything to win her regard. And yes at the first sign of her acceptance of me I did everything in my power to ensure she was mine and could never be free. But can you blame me. She's my life. My rose coloured life. My happily ever after. And I am determined to be hers.

So Albus can just sod off with all the guilt trips. Rose loves me and our babies and is handling a lot she hasn't chosen better than anyone could reasonably expect. Its just that she is on bed rest and bored out of her mind. It will be better when the babies come.

"Alright." I call out wondering where Tilly is and if Albus decided to stay for dinner. "It's ready. Are you in the living room, ma vie?" I don't know what I was expecting to see when I walked into the living room but it wasn't that.

"Is that my copy of the History of Magic?" Rose is labouring on our sofa a leather bound textbook in her teeth while Albus shouts encouragements and monitors how the labour is progressing.

""Seriously mate? Your wife is giving birth on your sofa and all you can do is ask about the book she's biting down on. Make yourself useful would you? My hands are kind of busy here." His hands are on…

"Is that a head?" I can't believe I was fussing over garnishes while my wife was in labour.

"No it's a tail. Stop asking stupid questions and put the plates down." I look about me for a surface to set the tray down on. Things seem strewn about, furniture overturned.

"Why do you have a black eye?" I ask noticing one of Albus's eyes is partially swollen shut. Oh blast. I hope that wasn't from his attempt to clear the air.

"Never question the maternal instincts of a woman in labour. Lesson learned." He winks at Rose and she growls back.' Go rub Rose's back. Tilly will be here any second with Nana Molly." I hope she hurries Albus has only been apprenticing as a healer for a couple of week.

I start rubbing Rose's back. Wow. She's not due for a few more weeks. So wasn't expecting to come home to this. Suddenly I remember to ask "Where is Dr. Rheingold?"

"Rose hates Dr. Rheingold. She doesn't want him anywhere near her or the babies." Albus wipes his brow. "Okay she's okay to push. You can take the book out now." I help ease it from her mouth.

"I hate you scheming son of a bitch. Aaaahhh!" Rose shouts out at me as soon and her mouth is free. " If you ever think about putting another baby into me I am going to shove two gourds up your arse so you can see how much funs this is. Aaaahh!" Good to know she has plenty of spirit left in her. I try not to smile and rub her back harder.

"You're doing it Rose. Less threats more pushing." Albus encourages.

"Aaaahhh! And Albus you Slytherin snake. Graaaah. If you ever threaten me and mine in my own house again you won't live long enough to prove what ever point grrr you are trying to maaaaaaake." Don't these contractions seem awfully close.

"Wait what.?" Did Rose just say Albus had threatened her.

"Hey look at all that blonde hair. Nice change from the ginger. Here come the shoulders. And it's a boy. No surprises there. Here you are Rose baby #1." My squalling son is placed on his mother's chest. He is red as a beet and covered in goop but he's the most perfect thing I've ever seen. I barely had time to gaze in wonder at the screaming form of my son when Rose was back to pushing.

"Nana thank Merlin you are here. As you can see baby #1 is here and kicking. Can you take him and clean him up a minute or two while I help Rose with baby two. Wow. It must think this is a race. Great pushing Rose."

"Oh I can see some ginger hair. Well that is a swift return to form. Yes Rose. You're doing it. Slow down while I adjust the shoulders." The strangled animal sounds Rose was making could be interpreted only as curses on Albus and anatomy. Better his than mine. I've always wanted a quidditch team of children so I'm going to need mine functioning. Though perhaps now isn't the time to bring that up.

"And it's a girl. Well done Rose. And you too Scorpius. Look at that a female Malfoy." Nana Molly handed back our son and took our daughter then handed her back and both babes had a chance to suckle.

"I know I've said you were a goddess before but this time I really mean it. Look at how you just made two perfect little people." I reach out and our daughter grasps the tip of my finger in her tiny little hand. Rose smiles at this dazedly.

"So what are we thinking they look like." I whisper to Rose when both children have latched on and are slurping away happily. It took a lot of persuasion but she finally agreed to honor the family naming convention.

"He is definitely pretty golden looking and I favour the names with alliteration. Plus I've never liked the name Selene." She admits. Honestly I am so grateful she had agreed to follow the traditional naming convention she could suggest any celestial name short of Uranus and I'd go for it.

"Perfect. Shall we introduce them to the family?" Rose had finished feeding and is as fresh looking as she will be for the next few days.

Tilly had been very busy popping in and out all evening. The voices from our foyer were getting more plentiful and boisterous with every passing minute.

"Alright you can let them all in now Tilly." Our fathers get wedged for a second trying to get in the door at the same time. They burst through and Rose's Mum comes up past them. Hugo ,Grandpa Arthur, Nana Molly , Gran And Grandad Granger, and Al's parents were all there bustling their way in and crowding around the sofa trying to get a better look at the twins.

"Rose, do you want to do the honors?" She is beaming down at our children her face shows sings of exhaustion. She shakes her head and points to her throat. Ah she screamed herself horse. "Well then allow me to introduce you both to our newest family members our son Apollo Albus and our daughter Artemis Astoria."

There were tears and cheers and the babies were passed around the room at least twice. My father took me aside and thanked me for using Mum's name for my daughter. He didn't mind in the lest not getting a spare and looked forward to spoiling them both rotten. But added sotto voce that Rose did so well that maybe we might consider trying again in a few years.

Soon enough everyone was escorted out and Tilly and I were getting both babies into onesies for bed time and introducing them to their crib. Merlin bless house elves. I would never have contemplated parenthood if I hadn't known I'd have an eager nursemaid to help us. Alright, that's a lie but I might have convinced myself to wait at least a few more months. Well, no not really. I am as high as a kite on adrenaline right now and can't imagine a better feeling than snuggling my newborn children and watching my wife with them.

When I crash I crawl into bed beside Rose she was still awake." I 'm surprised you are still up! " I remarked bussing her cheek. "I can use a short nap and I was only there to watch the end of it."

Rose takes a sip of water and clears her throat "Oh well. Tilly is going to come change my dressing when they are both all the way down. And then if I am up for it perhaps even give me a bath."

Rose's hair is all over the place s, her voice is raspy from the screaming but coming back and when I kissed her there was a faint hint of milk added to the usual bread, sunshine and roses. I suspect if she could see herself right now she'd say she looks a fright and fuss about how many family members saw her like this. To my eyes she has never looked more beautiful. "Have I told you enough about how amazing you were. I am completely in awe of your godlike ability to make two new people. You are going to be such a great mother." I massage her neck and shoulders.

"Oh that's nice. And yes you mentioned it a time or twelve. But I don't mind hearing it again." She is making my favourite sounds and I have to repeat 6 more weeks in my head like a chant. Albus warned me that it takes weeks to recover from childbirth and it has to happen without the aid of magic or it will be harder on Rose's body next time.

I can't see how it would hurt to at least put out feelers about there being a next time though. "I just wanted to tell you that you are right. Two is more than enough. I could never ask you to go through that again." I do mean this in a way. I have no intention of asking her. Not directly. " I always pictured myself having a big Weasely sized family but I didn't have a clue about a tenth of what was involved. If you want I'll book an appointment tomorrow at a muggle clinic and make sure it isn't a problem going forward." Please shoot this down. Please shot this down. Please shoot this down.

"Hhhaahhhmmm. I appreciate the offer but can we wait till I am not bleeding from childbirth to revisit this discussion. I don't trust myself to make any permanent decisions yet."

That didn't sound definitive. "Is that a maybe to more kids?"

"It's a drop it or I'll go track down some gourds." Okay, good enough for now.

"Later is fine. I love you so much." I gently ease against her and kiss her again then drift off thankful for this perfect day.

10 The Malfoys have a chateau in the South of France where Scorpius spent every summer and Christmas4w holiday when his mother was alive. He was smart enough not to show off the ability to lapse into flawless French in front of other students who would just say he was full of himself. He forgot himself in an intense emotional moment however and discovered Rose loved it. Naturally he used this to his full advantage when they were alone together.

11 The Malfoy's invited the Potter's to join them in their box seats at the 2022 Quidditch Cup in Quatar. Before a match Albus was introduced by his father to Coach Viktor Krum and his son, star seeker Vladimir Krum. The attraction was instant. Albus's sudden interest in quidditch was usually misattributed to his support of his best friend. Albus would be caught in a compromising position with Vlad in a locker room in early 2029. The story helped distract from the announcement of Rose's 5th pregnancy and her the public nudity scandal that preceded it.

12 Draco Malfoy gave the keys to Malfoy House to the newly weds as a wedding gift. It technically wouldn't pass to Scorpius until he inherited upon Draco's death but there was also Malfoy Manor, Malfoy Castle and Chateau Malfoy so he was happy to give them the use of it.

Part 2

Conversations from a Malfoy Marriage.

September 18th, 2024

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy! You have ten seconds to get in here and explain yourself or I am going to castrate you with my bare hands." I can't believe he has done it again. I am starting to wonder the last time was really a miscommunication after all.

"You bellowed, ma vie?" Scorpius appears from the nursery spit up on both shoulders. I hold on to my anger tightly. He is such a good father and when he is home goes out of his way to take care of Pollo and Missy to the extent he reasonably can but I am not going to let that sway me.

"Don't you give me that love business. I just got back from the healers. Do you know what she said when I asked when I should expect my next period?" I watch his reaction carefully and for a fraction of a second there is elation on his face before he can mask it. That Slytherin sneak I knew it!

"Erm ? Not really my area of expertise but I remember reading somewhere it has to do with breast feeding. So I'll guess when Pollo and Missy are weaned." He is trying and failing to appear innocent.

"No you conniving Slytherin fiend. She said in about ten months when I'm recovered from when this one comes." His excitement cannot be contained though he appears to be trying. It is hard to stay mad at him but I try.

"Are you saying?" He holds my hands and stares into my eyes with love and wonder that can't be faked. I love him but he planned this I am sure of it and probably not even for the first time. I bring my anger to the fore again.

"That your transparent scheme to get me pregnant again worked? Yes that was the point I was getting at. You can book that appointment at the muggle clinic tomorrow." Again that lightening quick flicker of guilt. Je is guilty as sin and he knows it. I mean it. He can't be trusted. Three will already be more children then my parents had. We are going to nip this tight in the bud.

"Come on ma vie. There isn't any hurry now. Its not like I can get you any more pregnant. Why don't you sleep on it. I'm happy to go. Just not on a day when you've threatened to castrate me manually. Three children is more than enough for me. I used to dream of having a big family but that was before we had the twins. I'm sure three will feel like a huge family. I don't know how your Grandma managed 7. Pollo and Missy keep us on our tows and we have Tilly to help." I allow him to pour on his patented Scorpius Malfoy charm. He won't succeed in changing my mind but to my mind I can use the pampering. Three babies one and under.

August 24th, 2025

"Pollo, Missy!" Tilly is taking you and Orion to the park! Mummy needs to speak to Daddy alone."

Uh-oh. This can't be good. I scan the room for projectiles but there is no time and getting caught removing them will be a clear sign guilt. "You wanted to discuss something? Is everything alright? It isn't the children is it?"

"It is. It is in fact our fourth child. What happened to the muggle operation you were supposed to get?"

"That's brilliant Rose. Wow a fourth child. Did I mention how sexy you look when you're pregnant?" I should probably feel guiltier about this but I am really not. All I am is excited that I get to have another baby with Rose. I really mean it she is irresistible when pregnant. I doo my best to mollify her justifiable anger. "Funny thing about that muggle operation. Do remember the day you called me home from the office because the twins had croup? Well that the day I had it hooked right after work. It is still on my to do list. I guess I should move that up but what's the hurry now right. Hey what are those gourds for?"

June 16th, 2026

"Honestly Rose you came with me to the muggle clinic. You sat with me through the whole thing. How is this my fault?'

I try to keep calm. Through gritted teeth I seethe out "Didn't you read the pamphlets it says no sex for ix weeks afterwards till all the live rounds are out of your system." Technically I should bare some of the responsibility for this too as I did read the pamphlets but I am home with four children two and under. I can't keep track of what day it is most of the time. How was I supposed to keep track of how many weeks it had been.

"Honestly? No. I didn't read it I went because you wanted it done and so I got it done. I didn't bother to read any of the literature provided. It kind of just made me sad. I love them when they are at the baby stage. I love them at all stages obviously and you are such a natural as a mother. It would be one thing if we didn't have Tilly or money was tight. Or if your health was an issue. But look like a fucking fertility goddess every time and I swear you barely look like you've had even one. We can book another appointment. New clinic new doctor. Now where should we go to celebrate."

March 7th, 2027

How the hell does he keep doing this? I stare in disbelief at the lines on the muggle test. Each time he swears the last pregnancy will be the last. No more babies for us no way. He has been fixed twice. I went with him both times. I am the mother of five children. Five . I can barely remember what my feet look like half of the time. And here I am getting accidentally pregnant again like a bloody teenager.

I phone him at work. I can't even be bothered with in person confrontations anymore.

"Hullo, ma vie. To what to I owe the honour of a mid-day phone call from my lovely wife?"

"I am phoning to resign."

"Resign? From what?"

"The role as your brood mare."

"Darling don't talk that way. You are the mother of my five beautiful children. You are a domestic goddess and the cleverest, and most beautiful witch of our generation. No one in their right mind would ever dare think of you as a brood mare. Unless you are trying to imply I'm a stud in which case I'm flattered."

"Six." I sniff into the phone and am unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"I'm sorry six what?"

"Children. We have six children."

"Did I miscount? I must not have had enough coffee. Apollo, Artemis, Orion, Juno and Theseus. Yup. Five."

"And un-named baby Malfoy. Six."

"Oh Merlin Rose really? How the hell did that happen? When did it happen? Did the healer say how far along you are?"

"I haven't been to a healer yet. I peed on one of those muggle tests. But I'd guess about three weeks."

"Well are you sure then. I heard those can have false positives."

"Scorpius Malfoy are you really questioning my ability to tell whether I am pregnant or not."

"No. No of course not. That would have been around Theo's first birthday party right?"

"Mmm hmm. I remember celebrating my first legal taste of alcohol."

"Remember how I surprised you with a belated anniversary trip to France?"

"Mmm yes. The things we did in that spring were positively indecent. We're lucky we didn't get caught and arrested."

"Yeah the one in Lourdes. Do you happen to remember the name of it?"

"Grotto of Massabella or something like it."

"Massabeille?"

"Yeah that was it why?"

"I'm googling it?"

"What in Merlin's name is googling?"

"It's a muggle thing, never mind, not important. Do you remember how I swore some of your stretch marks disappeared?"

"Yes. I do you flatterer. You got very well rewarded for that as I recall. And again for saying you thought my mum tum was getting less notable."

"Yeah well you do always say my golden tongue will get me anywhere."

"That is not what I meant when I said you had a golden tongue and you know it."

"Yes well. I am still at work here though feeling more and more inclined to duck out early. But you've distracted me from my point. I wasn't just buttering you up. According to the article in front of me the grotto is famous among muggles for its miraculous healing properties. Your stretch marks really did fade and your tummy got the teeniest bit tighter. You see what I'm getting at here right."

"Yes. A mother's day retreat to that place as a yearly gift. There is a chance I might get my pre-broodmare body back." I step in front of a mirror and try to see if I can notice any changes.

"Noted but not where I was going with this and I thought we agreed you weren't going to call yourself that. Besides I want it noted that I don't ever want your pre-baby body to come all the way back. I love your curves. Your body shows that its performed miracles and when I get home I am going to show you how much I appreciate it." See that. That right there. That is how this man gets to me.

"Your flattery will get everywhere but I think there was a point you were trying to make."

"Unh huh. In a minute. The others went out for lunch. What are you wearing?" His voice has deepened.

I answer honestly. "My pajamas and half of Theo's lunch."

"Spoil sport."

"Nice that your coworkers have left you to yourself in the office but I'm still surround by our offspring at the moment. Rain check on the dirty talk?"

"Yeah. Fine. I better wrap this up before the others get back."

"If you help yourself in the restroom I'll know. If Mummy doesn't get any cookies nobody gets cookies."

"We want biscuits. Blast. I gotta go. What were you trying to say. Make it quick." Who taught them the American word for biscuit. Grandpa Draco has a lot to answer for with his Muggle television.

"I can think of something of mine that those waters must have healed."

"Oh schtopzuccker. I guess it serves us right for desecrating the waters of a Catholic holy site."

"You knew about it's reputation." It is always gratifying to be able to surprise him. It happens so rarely.

"Of course. But I just assumed it was a bunch of nonsense like most of what muggles believe in. No put that down. Gotta go. Bye."

June 5th, 2028

"Triplets? Did I hear you right? As in three babies." I actually bring my fingers to my ears and try to clear them out.

"That is the usual definition yes." Rose is clearly trying to be mad. She is entirely correct in her suspicion that I knew all about the miracle waters of Lourdes before we got there. I was after all the one to plan the trip. But I never expected this.

"Wow. Just wow. I don't even know what to say to that." I am going to actually get my quidditch team of children. Well sort of. Albus pointed out to me that 7 quidditch players are useless. You need 14 for an actual match. But I'm getting an alternate so counting this as my win. There is no way Rose will let me get away with something like this again anyways. She is wise to my ways.

"Damn Catholics that's what I say. There should be signs around that blasted grotto. When it heals you up it really doesn't mess around. Have you noticed my tits lately." When have I ever not noticed them.

"Is there a right answer to that?" I mean really I can and have composed odes to them. I wonder where that folio went. Probably don't want the kids coming across it.

"I swear they are higher than they used to be." They might be higher but they certainly aren't smaller or less inviting.

"Ouch" She hasn't lost her quidditch reflexes. That is certain.

"That wasn't an invitation to touch." Can't blame a man for trying. The down side of all the children is I get to look but never touch.

"Sorry. Miscommunication. Remember how you were with the twins? I'm willing to come home at lunch times again if you need me to." Have I mentioned I love Rose's body pregnant? The second trimester is the absolute best.

"You are sooo considerate. But seriously look at them. They'd barely hold up pencils. And look. I'm only four months along and they are already leaking." How is that not an invitation?

"Unh huh. Me too. Come here." Merlin I love pregnancy hormones!

December 31st, 2028

"8 children. Did you ever think you'd see the day when we'd have eight children."

"Nope never. Not when we knew each other back in school. Not after the twins. Orion or Juno or Prometheus. Especially not after Prometheus."

"So were are agreed? No more. 8 is as many as any sane couple can handle even with the aid of a house elf." His words are saying one thing but his tone something else entirely. I know my spouse and he really won't ask for another child if he think I'm dead set against it. And there has been one of the secrets to our marriage. He knows when to get what he wants by ignoring objections and begging forgiveness later, when to propose the opposite of what he really wants and when to back off entirely. At least he does now after some notable missteps.(13) He suspects I may have had a change of heart but doesn't want to allow himself to hope for more.

"Definitely the upper limit for any sane couple." I answer cautiously.

"So I am keeping that appointment tomorrow and no more healing springs." There is something very vulnerable about him at this moment. Something I haven't seen in years if ever. The world barely remembers a time when Scorpius Malfoy wasn't one of the most confident, well liked, well respected wizard in all of society. Underneath all of that she glimpsed a vulnerable young man afraid of getting his heart hurt.

"Yes. That is definitely what any sane person would tell us to do." Hard to believe as it may be but since he stopped trying to push the issue of more children I actually discovered that I want a few more. After the first three more isn't actually much harder. I know I sound like a crazy person and I probably am.

"Is it what You are telling me to do?" Look how far he's come. For once he is actually asking what I want Before deciding. Doesn't that sort of behaviour deserve to be rewarded?

" are you actually asking if I want to make a baby with you?" He has the decency to blush.

"Yes Mrs. Malfoy," he admits at length. "I have been quite a rotter and a plotter over the years. But this time I am out right asking. Acknowledging that you have the right to say no. And that I probably deserve to have you reject me." Did you catch that phrasing. Rejection. Five years of marriage and 8 children later and all that plotting he did to get me to marry him and have his children has left him terrified of being rejected. I may be terrible at French but I know his favourite endearment isn't my move or my wife. It's my life. He tells me a dozen times daily I am the center of his world but remains terrified that he may not be the center of mine.

I address his irrational fears head on. "You understand that if I told you 8 is enough and I don't want any more children that that wouldn't be me rejecting you right? We'd still be a couple. We'd still do all the same things we've always done in the bedroom just with a bit more enthusiasm from not having to worry about positions."

"Erm." His blush deepens. He rubs his neck and has trouble meeting my eye. "It is possible that I may have a slightly irrational fear that you'll reject me like you did at Hogwarts. I mean I don't remember you ever shouting to the rooftops 'hey look I'm Rose Granger-Weasely and I'm in love with Scorpius Malfoy.' You wanted to keep our relationship under the radar. You were embarrassed to be seen with me. Whoa. Where are you going. Put a robe on if you are going to go outside. The neighbors will see."

I may regret this later but at the moment nothing seems more important than proving my love to the man who has never for a second waivered in his live for me.

"I ROSE MALFOY LOVE MY HUSBAND SCORPIUS MALFOY. EVEN IF HE IS A MANIPULATIVE SHIT!"

Horns blare. Tires screech. I get a few wolf whistles. Half a block down there is a muffled cry of "We know you do you had 8 children with him." I re-enter our flat triumphant.

"Well that's going to make tomorrow's papers." Scorpius's smile could melt knickers if I were wearing any.

"You were saying?" It is hard not to be a little cocky after getting that kind of response. Maybe it makes me shallow but even a mother of eight likes to think she could stop traffic if she wanted to.

"Alright. Alright. You win. I did say it was an irrational fear. You are right I need to grow up and get over it." It was pretty nippy out as one would expect in a New Year's night so we crawl under the covers to cuddle.

"Its like I said to Albus right before the twins were born I loved you for a long time before I kissed you in Potions class. I was just stubborn about it. If you'd been caddish enough to try and make me jealous on purpose I would have cracked a lot sooner. Godric how I wanted to Kedava that witch." I can see from his eyes that this is actually a surprise to him.

"Really? Now you tell me." If I'd realized Al hadn't repeated that to him verbatim I would gave made a point of telling him years ago.

"Wow. Should I be worrying about your relationship with Albus. Him keeping things from you like that." I can't help but tease. His friendship with Albus is stronger than ever. They take the children to quidditch matches together every other weekend which gives me some downtime. It is really quite something because it took me years to realize it but neither of them has the least interest in quidditch. (14)

"We should maybe owl your mother. You know the Mad Malfoy's at it again. She's used to the papers carrying on about our quidditch team of children. The public nudity is a new thing though and probably warrants a heads up before an aid can brief her in the morning." Pretty sure I was trying to put having another child on the table but somehow he seems to have missed this.

"So aren't you going to ask me?" I prompt.

"Ask you what? I think the putting on the robe thing is probably moot now." I tweak his nipple. Now he's just being purposely obtuse.

"What we were talking about before." Five years and he still drives me mad.

"About Pollo and Missy coming with father and I to the Quidditch Cup. No way. They are far too young and I don't mind being the bad guy there. The man wouldn't let me go when I was nine. He's got some nerve asking when they are only Six." I groan and roll my eyes.

"No not that. Obviously yes they are far to young. But the other thing we were talking about before my little stroll outside." I walk my fingers up his leg from his knee.

"Did you want to go with me to the clinic again tomorrow? Maybe I'll get a free coffee for frequent visits." He is definitely distracted by the location of my hand at the top of his thigh.

"No. And still not quite the question I had in mind." I trace my fingers along the ridge of his hips.

"You are going to make me go all alone." He asks in a rasp.

"I didn't say that either." I give him a meaningful look.

"Then…?" He quirks a brow at me. I quirk one back.

He leaves the bed to get down on one knee. "Rose Ginevra Granger-Weasely Malfoy, love of my life and light of my being would you consent to consummate our love in the act of procreation?"

"Yes I will. It was a bit florid but I'll take it. Now hurry. We've got about twenty minutes till the triplets are up for the next feeding." He launches himself at me tumbling me back onto the bed.

"You do know how to set the mood." He teases so I pinch his other nipple harder. "Ouch."

"We're counting that as foreplay." 2029 is shaping up to be a wonderful year.

February 14th, 2034

"Happy Valentine's Day love! Here I smuggled up a bottle of Champaign. You know I was thinking we've never had a grown up celebration up here with bubbly. Maybe we can come back here and do it again next year for our anniversary." Is there any more romantic place on Earth to be on Valentine's Day then the top of the Eiffel Tower. I packed a whole picnic for us to surprise her. Champaign with raw oysters, fois gras and strawberries. This is the first time we have left the children behind for a weekend away in years.

"Sorry. I would have saved you the trouble if I'd known what you were planning. I am afraid I'm still not going to get to experience Champaign at the top of the Eiffel Tower and next New Year's doesn't seem promising either."

I wish she had told me that before I'd opened the bottle. We aren't in our... wait a minute. "Are you saying?"

"Yup the healer confirmed it right before we left home this morning. I had a hell of a time keeping Herc from telling you. He and Polly came along for the appointment."

"Wow. Baby 11 (15)That's tremendous." I am gob smacked by this one. And here I thought I'd finally come to terms with being done with having children.

"Why don't you sound pleased." Oh shite. Now she's offended. Rise is always so sensitive in the first trimester.

"It isn't that. I' m just a bit shocked. I thought you said we were done after Polly. Said you'd got that UTI in. I wasn't expecting it is all." It was a huge relief to not be asked to go back for a 3rd operation actually.

"Yeah I tried it I really did. Then Al and Vlad came over and they were making noises about adopting again and.." What the Hell!

"What you're having a baby for Al and Vlad?" I love them but I am not on board for my wife having her cousin's lover's baby.

"No, if you'd let me finish. I would never make a decision like that without consulting you. They say the muggles are close to making a break through with two men having a baby so maybe one day if it was all their child I'd consider it. Now where was I before you distracted me?" Oh thank Merlin. Call me selfish but I don't want my kids having sibling/cousins. Rose and I are already distantly related and that's enough.

"Trying to explain how we went from you getting a bit of copper in your tubes to prevent a 11th child happening to telling me you are pregnant with out 11th child." Seriously how did I miss that?

"Well I'm not sure if you noticed but it totally wrecked my cycle. I was crampy and hormonal and it totally killed my sex drive. Surely you must have noticed?" She's looking at me like that wasn't rhetorical. I start packing up the picnic to avoid looking at her. There is nothing she can eat in it aside from the strawberries.

"There is no way I am answering that." I'd like to make it through this Valentine's Day still married

"So after suffering through it for six months I decided to have it taken out. Then before I came up with a plan B for birth control Vlad and Al came by with all these pictures of the sweetest little babies. And I realized I still wanted one. I know it probably makes me insane. Goodness knows what the papers will say when they find out so I decided just to leave off trying a new prevention method and see if anything happened." Months. This has been going on for months.

"Just like that. We've been having baby making sex for months and you never saw fit to tell me?" I know I sound whiny but she knows it's my favourite.

"I'm sorry is the man who tricked me into getting pregnant 5 times complaining he was left out of the decision making." No I am a grown man sulking about all the fun he's missed.

"Not at all that would be hypocritical and wrong. I'm complaining that I didn't know we were having unprotected sex you know how hot that gets me. I would have risen to the occasion more often." L like twice as often. Three times if I'd come home for lunch.

"I think it's pretty clear you got the job done even without knowing it." Such a waste.

"Nope still missed out on hot baby making sex. You owe me. If only we were in a country far away from all our children where you could make it up to me." Our suite in the George Cinq would be the perfect place to start.

"You think the timing here was an accident." At that right there is why I love this woman.

"This is why you are my wife." Ma vie. As temperamental as a summer storm and equally invigorating.

"I am your wife because you seduced me, impregnated me, and tricked me into marrying you." Well, guilty as charged. But look how well it turned out. Je ne regret rien.

"Well yes but you never murdered me and goodness knows you probably should have." She the smartest, cleverest , most beautiful witch of our generation. Her mother was the Minister of Magic and her god father was the head Auror. I would have been dead before my body hit the floor and it would never have been found if there had even been enough worth hiding. The fight when she figured out what I'd done was premeditated was pretty epic but it resulted in Orion and I totally had it coming.

"Eh, your love kind of grew on me, like the mold on a half eaten apple under our sofa." And now that love is as impossible to eradicate as the fruit flies under that sofa.

"Did the triplets play bowling with apples in the parlor again. I thought we were trying to discourage that." I am on my phone looking for that app that calls a car. Traffic is slow because of tourists everywhere but we should still make it back to our suite in 20 minutes. Ten if I give the driver all my muggle money.

"You do realize if you were hoping for sex tonight we need to budget time for me to nap beforehand right?" She can have a nap before and after but if I missed all the baby making sex she's making it up to me now.

"You are right. Priorities. Lets take a cab to the hotel so you can nap on the way." It will be there by the time we make it to the street. I pass the picnic basket to a homeless muggle on the way to the car.

September 1st,2036

Orion Arthur Malfoy for the last time we are your parents we are the ones who will ne dropping you off at the platform!"

"But Mum that's so embarrassing. You are as big as a house and Dad can never keep his hands off you. I am trying to make a good first impression. How can I find someone who doesn't know I am the son of the Mad Malfoy's if you two are right there making a huge scene."

"Grah! Scorpius talk to your son!"

"C'mon Ri. You know how much this means to your mother. She spent all last night updating your scrapbook getting a page all ready for the picture of your first trip on the Hogwarts Express. I know the press doesn't make it easy but the right friend isn't going to care about that. Everyone thought a lot worse about me but I still made a beat friend on the train."

"Uncle Albus?"

"That's right. Your mother cared even more about reputations than you do and turned her nose right up at me."

"Hey!"

"It's the truth! But Uncle Albus he just sat down and helped himself to some sweets and we've been inseparable ever since. So you know what you need to do?"

"Buy a friend with candy?"

"That's right."

"Scorpius you are supposed to be telling him to just be himself."

"Of course he needs to be himself. Just himself with pockets full of candy."

"Grah. What am I supposed to do with you. I suppose the car isn't even packed yet. Where have the twins gotten to? Orion just stick with the twins and you'll be fine. You can share a compartment with them and your Lupin cousins. Oof. These babies are kicking up a fuss today. Lets go get that car packed."

"Your doing it wrong. It won't possibly all fit that way. You need to start with the flat trunks first. "

"You know if you want to do this so badly you can take out your wand and have at it."

"No no. Its fine. I am just on edge this morning. I feel like a beached whale and now after what Orion said I am afraid that I look like one too."

"Now darling you know he was just being a peevish pre-teen and you can't take anything he says to heart. You are as enchanting a witch as you were the day I met you. And you don't look even remotely fat. You are just looking ripe and lush and you know that's just like I like you. You know we still have nearly an hour till we leave for the train. Why don't we go inside and you can lay down and I'll rub your back."

"We'll still have plenty of time? Your sure because that sounds like heaven right now."

"Grah. Ow ow ow. Why did I let you do that? Now I am going to miss seeing Orion off to the train."

"Its alright love. Your parents are taking Orion and the twins. Tilly took Atlas, Polly and Herc back to my father's house. The triplets and Juno are with your grandparents. You just concentrate on having these babies."

"This is your fault. It was supposed to just be a back rub!"

"Come now pet. You know you wanted to take a nap and it usually helps you to go to sleep. The babies were just ready to come. Now the healer should arrive any minute just calm down and breath."

"No. I can't have the babies yet! I need to go the King's Cross and take a picture of Orion before he boards the train to Hogwarts."

"Ssh. I is okay Rose. Orion will be fine if you don't take the picture. He actually seemed happy to been seen off without us."

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy are you going to drive me to the train station or do I need to find the keys and drive myself?"

"Alright love. Alright. If you need me to drive you that's what I'll do."

"Did you take the picture. Hoo hoo hoo. Merlin that was a big one."

"Yes you madwoman I did. Is that your waters all over the upholstery? Gah! We'll never make it home in time. You really will end up giving birth in this blaated car park. Tilly!"

"What are you doing she's with the children. Grah! Ha ha ha."

"So is father and this is an emergency.

"Hello Master Scor- oh dear. Don't push yet missus. Tilly'll have you home in a titch."

"Well can we agree it is better to have babies at home then in car parks."

"Yes. Yes. You can stop rubbing it in. I admit I was acting a little irrational."

"A little? Leo's head was halfway out by the time we got you to our bed!"

"Tilly caught him just fine. I don't understand what all the fuss was about."

"She had to juggle him to catch Stella when she came shooting out after him!"

"That was really quite something wasn't it? I'll admit labour'a gotten a lot easier. I practically didn't have to push at all this time."

"Thank goodness you didn't give it your best effort they might have landed in Greenwhich."

"Ha ha. You never did show me the picture of Orion."

"You are a relentless one aren't you? Here it is."

"Who is that he's got his arm around? My she's pretty. What a fetching little thing!"

"Trouble. That's who she is. She's Irish, a orphan and muggle raised according to your mother. Who is seriously contemplating adopting the girl herself unless I'm much mistaken. Ri's a goner. I told him no grandkids till we're forty at least."

"Don't be ridiculous. He just wanted a best friend. Someone who isn't a family member who he can claim as just his own. You'll see, they'll be no more then friends at least for the first few years. Even my parents didn't see each other in a romantic light until at least fifth year."

"Ha." Scorpius waved a letter in the air. "That's what you think. I always told you he was a mix of both of us. He may be far more invested on public opinion then I ever was but when it comes to relationships he's just like me."

"Just because you took it into your head that you were in love with me at the tender age of 11 doesn't mean our son is similarly inclined."

"Behold his letter of apology!"

"An apology? For what?"

"Everything he is said about how embarrassing it is to have young parents all over each other who are always having babies. Her name is Saoirse O'Grady. She thinks he's awful for wanting to go to Hogwarts instead of waiting a day so he can meet the babies. She's at least part fey. And she wants 15 children. He's not sure he can wait till he's 20 to start a family that size so he hopes 18 will do. He want to invite her for Christmas. She was raised in a convent not an orphanage so she has never had a chance to hold a baby. Do you still think she's not trouble?"

"Merlin's beard. That's a different boy then the one who left the house this morning."

"No same boy. Just one with his priorities in place. He met a girl with nothing. Not money, not family, not friends and he wants to give her everything. Be her everything."

"But 15 children? Who wants 15 children when they are only 11. Surely that is just the childish fantasy of an orphan who has never known what it is to be in a family and is desperate to create her own! Maybe we can talk to Al and Vlad. They brought up adopting again recently. They were thinking maybe a baby from Bulgaria but perhaps they might consider at least fostering an older child first. That way even if they do adopt a baby next they'll have a big sister to help out and she'll get a baby fix without feeling the need to have her own."

"You really are the cleverest witch in my acquaintance. I will certainly will float the idea with them when they are over later to meet Stella and Leo but I think you shouldn't assume that will necessarily make this go away."

"Oh and why is that?"

"I spent two solid years being enveloped into the bosom of your extended family before we were ever a couple. I got to attend Teddy and Victoire's wedding and even cuddle little Remus when he was a new born. But none of that sated my desire for my own family. It only reinforced how badly I needed it and fed my willingness to pursue it at any cost."

"Are you telling me that you seriously this Ri's little girl friend isn't going to grow out of this childhood dream of having 15 children.?"

"What I am telling you is that 19 years ago today I spotted a vivacious red head across the same crowded platform our children stood at today. From the instant I spotted her my life changed. One look and I wanted to spend my life with her raising a whole quidditch team of children."

"You knew you wanted to have 7 children with me even then?"

"7 nothing. How can you play a proper match with only 7 players. I wanted 14. Why do you think the press has always joked about that? I used to complain about its improbability to Albus in the boys room when we were alone. Moaning Myrtle has a big mouth. Did you know Rita Skeeter is actually one of her cousins?"

"Are you telling me you wanted 14 children all this time?"

"Yes. Obviously. It is very much common knowledge."

"Then why did you never say so."

"I had trouble enough winning you over when you didn't know I wanted any. Can you imagine what you'd have done if I'd let that fact drop before you married me."

"You didn't tell me until 30 seconds ago so no I really can't imagine it."

"Oh come now. Don't be that way. Since I backed off after the triplets it has been 100% your decision whether we should add more members to our family."

"Have I really? Or has it just been you manipulating me in a new way."

"No. No I promise this time it is all you. I came to a realization last year."

"Oh? And what was that?

"We had just wave of Missy and Pollo and were holding hands as Ri and Juno were helping heard all the other children back to the car. And I realized one day a decade or so from now we'd be making the trek back to the car by ourselves. And for the first time I was okay with that idea. Our youngest will eventually grow up and join his or her other siblings at Hogwarts leaving us with an empty nest. At I am really starting to look forward to that day. For the first time it will be just the two of us and that is an inspiring thought. You are my everything Rose. You are enough all by yourself without any children. Just us two."

"Keep talking that way and we'll end up having that 14th Malfoy."

"Just name the day Mrs. Malfoy. Just name the day(16)

13 Scorpius was not at all pleased to have had to sit through a vasectomy twice and that was nothing compared to having rectal reconstruction after the gourds were removed. But each experience did teach him a lot about respecting his wife's boundaries and gauging where the firm boundaries were.

14 Albus developed a knowledge of quidditch to be able to speak intelligently with a certain Bulgarian quidditch star. Scorpius started playing to boost his popularity in order to win the affections of a girl who was perhaps a little too wrapped up with status. Neither had any inherent interest in the game and both would still rather be home playing chess.

15 Malfoy children to this point Albus and 2. Artemis Astoria born Aug. 8th,2024. 3. Orion Arthur b. June 21st,2025 4. Juno Jean b. April 17th, 2026 5. Prometheus Theodore February 17th, 2027 6. Ariadne Hermione, Draco and 8. Pollux Ronald November 4th, 2028 9. Hercules Vladimir September 8th, 2029 10. Hippolyta Minerva January 9th, 2032

16 Io "Violet" Minerva Malfoy was born on New Year's Day two years later disrupting/improving her parents anniversary. She was the last Malfoy child until the birth of her nephew Oberon Hyperion Malfoy 5 and half years later.


End file.
